Any Means Necessary
by Glimare
Summary: AU: The Renegades didn't save Lloyd from Yggdrasil's attack at the Tower of Salvation. Kratos did. Now Lloyd's 'under his care' as the new Angelus Project, but nothing makes sense. Why does Yiggy hate Lloyd so much? What does everyone in Cruxis know that he doesn't? And why is Kratos training him? One thing's certain his life will never be the same.
1. 1 – Turning Point

_**Disclaimer**:_ I absolutely cannot own Tales of Symphonia. If i did, Kratos staying on world would have been an option.

Okay, I saw this thing on youtube that was a bit from another ToS kind of game (don't know the title so don't ask) where Kratos made an offer to save Lloyd's life and I thought it would be something great to play off of. Still a work in progress, but hopefully people talking to me will get me to finish this one. Mostly short chapters but they will grow in length. This is an AU starting from the Tower of Salvation, first visit. Lines from the game and manga are here, but a lot of deviation afterwards. Doi, AU hunny. Some OCs as some of the characters I'm using have no names or personalities, and there's a lot of theorizing later so please be patient. Constructive criticism is loved, so tell me what I've got to adapt or what isn't consistent. Need to work on that.

Anywho, enjoy! Lost of Father/Son moments coming up so love it please.

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><p><strong><em>Any Means Necessary<em>**

_1 – Turning Point_

Even before the battle started, Lloyd knew they would lose. One: he never beat Kratos while they were training. Two: he could use magic, often better than the Professor and Genis. Three: he traveled with them for months and knew all their strengths and weaknesses. And lastly four: Kratos was an angel. They were going to die.

It didn't stop him from trying though.

Desperate to get Colette back and set things right, Lloyd barely dodged the majority of the lights raining down all around them. The others weren't so lucky, falling to the ground in pain. Ignoring the blows he took from the heavenly-yet-deadly spell, he ran around the traitor and straight to Colette. Their best bet was grabbing her and running. He was almost begging her to run as he grasped on to her shoulders. "Colette!"

A sword found its way just inches from his throat, startling him off the girl now turned puppet. On the other end, Kratos' cold stare tightened his chest. "It's useless. Give up."

Torn and confused, his head spinning with everything the man did for them, and taught him specifically, Lloyd looked up to him imploringly. This couldn't be real. Kratos wouldn't... He couldn't... "Kratos... Did you really betray us?"

The terrifying angel didn't move, didn't speak. Just stared at him coldly like he always did. They knew it was just a mask but there had to be something of the Kratos he knew on their journey left in there, somewhere. The Kratos who shook silently when he saw Luin's destruction, who helped them destroy the Desians' ranches, who helped avenge his mother. Their companion wasn't a heartless angel. He couldn't be. "Answer me! Kratos!"

The angel brought up his sword for the killing blow, a final and swift end. Their eyes stayed on each other, neither blinking, neither moving. The sword would not swing down. Lloyd could not see past the man's mask, but as sure as there were wings on the man's back, there was conflict going on behind the man's eyes. He could not bring himself to kill the lad.

Hope started to spring forth inside Lloyd, only to be dashed by a new voice. "As I suspected, not even you could bring yourself to fight against such an opponent."

Both of them turned to look at a bright light diming to reveal yet another angel. A young slender man with long blond hair and emerald eyes graced them with a flourish and grace Lloyd never saw before. He wore a white and gold body suit and a rainbow of colors in his wings. A bright green gem rested on his chest, and an icy stare that put Kratos to shame. Lloyd openly gaped at the spectacle, ignoring his dizziness from his earlier fight. "What the..."

Kratos swiftly took to one knee before this angel. "Lord Yggdrasil."

This angel, Yggdrasil, looked beyond his servant to the obstinate teen bleeding out slowly. His stare sent chills down the mere human's spine. This guy _really_ didn't like him. "Are you 'Lloyd'?"

Lloyd glared back, fight returning to him. This guy was not getting anything from him, let alone Colette. "Who are you?!"

That seemed to be answer enough for him. Blondie smiled darkly as he raised a hand, clearly starting some kind of spell. "Out of my contempt for the human race, I will answer you. My name is Yggdrasil."

A large, no doubt enchanted, sword appeared before him, just hovering. Lloyd barely saw Kratos stiffen at the sight of it as the superior angel kept going. "It is I who is the leader of Cruxis. And also the leader of the Desians."

Whatever spell Yggdrasil was casting with that sword, it finished the instant he stopped talking. The force of a cannon ball plowed into Lloyd's body, throwing him painfully across the room and into a pillar, breaking it near in half. Pain so terrible struck him from all sides, trying to force a scream out of him yet denying him the ability to do so.

His body fell limply to the floor, barely aware of what was going on around him. The pain was unbearable... Lloyd barely saw the two before falling onto his face. For the first time he could recall, Kratos looked horrified. The blond angel was still smiling sweetly and with eyes colder than a winter night. His entire body felt like giving up, yet his ears continued to function as he bodily hit the floor.

"Kratos," goldie started, "do you have any objections?"

For a long, agonizing minute there was silence. Hope died within the boy as his eyes closed, likely for good. He could hear a spell being cast once more and imagined that Yggdrasil raising his hand to strike him again.

"Goodbye, 'Lloyd'."

"Wait!" Was that... Kratos? As his ears started to blink out, with his consciousness, he heard the bargain for his life. "He has the Angelus Pro... Most compatible mana... Others could be used for..."

"You would..." Yellow haired Isil's voice came and went too, more than a little annoyed by the suggestions being given to him.

"...Personal responsibility... can make it work..."

"The Chosen?"

Lloyd tried to stay conscious and hear the rest, but failed. He had a bad feeling about all of this, but did take a little comfort to his rest. Kratos didn't want him to die. But what about the others? Colette? What was really going on?

Too many questions, not enough energy. The very last thing he knew was someone kneeling besides him, carefully turning him onto his back. The grip was strong, yet gentle. He could only guess who was holding him, if anyone at all.

"Don't die Lloyd. Don't die on me again."

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><p>AN: well? How did you like it? the Renegades didn't make it in time. Kratos had to improvise. I honestly think that the renegades saving him and the others stopped him from reporting their base to Yggdrasil in the game, but that's me. Here though... well, that's where the mystery comes in. You'll have to see it for yourself. Enjoy! And don't forget to comment.


	2. 2 – Traitor…?

Warning: Sheena has a mouth. And for those who think this will turn CruLloyd, it won't. Completely out of character anyway. So sad that this only got one official review and two guests... Don't expect contently quick updates. My track record isn't that good. I just have six chapters done already. Enjoy!

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><p><em>2 – Traitor…?<em>

Consciousness seemed to elude Lloyd for quite some time, flickering in and out so briefly he wasn't sure what was real and what wasn't. The first time he woke for mere minutes, it was because Sheena was screaming. She was cursing and calling someone a traitor. His eyes tried to pull themselves open, but his body hurt so much and he was so comfortable in someone's arms, they just wouldn't. His ears worked though, and honestly he didn't think anyone could scream so many curses that loudly before, let alone a girl.

"TRAITOR! LET GO OF LLOYD RIGHT NOW! YOU SON OF A-"

"Silence you insolent human!" A voice he didn't recognize... a woman? Her order came with a slap, shutting up his friend for the moment. "It is only by Lord Kratos' grace you are still alive."

"Some grace..." Sheena's spite was evident in every word she spoke. "Traitorous murdering bastard. This your bitch?"

"How dare you-"

"That's enough Pronyma." Kratos' deep voice vibrated next to him, making it clear who was holding him. Though part of Lloyd knew he should be trying to get away from this traitor, the rest of him wanted nothing more than to stay there where it was safe. Yes... he was safe there... at least for now. Kratos was even trying not to wake him, keeping his voice low. "Take them to the southern cells, unharmed."

"Of course, Lord Kratos." Some carefully controlled anger came with the statement, followed by a lot of rustling and shoving. "Move."

"Why are you doing this?!" Genis' begging yell almost pulled his friend's eyes open. They started moving as he continued to hear his friends shouting at them. "Kratos why?! Where are you taking him?!"

"How could you?!" Professor Sage, just as confused and upset as the others. "We trusted you! Lloyd and Colette most of all! How could you do this to them?!"

"GET BACK HERE YOU TRAITOR! COWARD! LYING TWOFACED JACKA-"

A metallic swish cut off the girl before she could finish, almost in sync with the wave of exhaustion hitting Lloyd. He was starting to lose consciousness again. After a moment, he heard a despairing sigh and felt Kratos' back slump against something else. He sounded exhausted.

"What else could I do?" The angel's voice seemed weary from some great weight, pulling him into some dark abyss he did not want. It was the last thing Lloyd heard before falling into slumber again.

There were moments when he felt movement and could see bright lights through his eyelids, but the fleeting moments were nothing to him. When the arms holding placed him on cold bed, he moaned and tried turning to it; but they did not return, and darkness took him once more. He heard voices, all soft and low to not wake him, but none he recognized. A cold loneliness stayed with him as he fell deeper and deeper into the night.

When he felt the strong pull back to reality, he didn't feel anything around him. Blinding lights were all around him and he felt like he was floating. His weapons and traditional clothes were gone, replaced by a light set of pajamas (he hoped that's what they were). The only thing he felt on him that was familiar was the key crest and exsphere still on his hand. Why did they take everything else and leave those?

It was still a struggle to open his eyes, and even when he did he regretted it, closing them again quickly. Too bright. Lloyd tried to think of his surroundings, but it was still a struggle to focus on things. He was so tired... His wounds didn't hurt anymore, but he couldn't make himself move either. He just... floated... wherever he was like a rag doll on water. He'd just wait until his body fell to the ground, eventually. His ears continued to work, whether he cared at that moment or not.

"You were right about the compatibility Lord Kratos," someone said without a hint of emotion. "No Chosen has had these numbers. Should we institute a breeding program at the Human Ranches?"

"Just because he's compatible now doesn't guarantee continued compatibility." Kratos. He was there, telling people what to do. "His father's DNA may alter the end results."

"That is another matter we may wish to look into-"

"Will not happen." There was some anger in his voice, ending the topic. Did... did he know his father?

"I have seen the stone continue to evolve as we traveled. There is no need to-" A loud humming made it impossible to hear what they were saying for a while. Lloyd nearly opened his eyes again to find the source but the strain was too much for his sore body. When the humming stopped, they were still talking. "-else is permitted to test him. Understood?"

"Understood Lord Kratos." He missed a good deal of the conversation, but he hardly cared. All he could do was try to focus on the direction the voices were coming from and turned his head to face them. The light was a bit more bearable now, but it was still a struggle to open his eyes. What he saw around him would have shocked him beyond repair if he wasn't so out of it.

Those weird... 'computers' from the Desian bases crowded the room, with 'projectors' and words he couldn't hope to understand on them. There was a lot of white metal and unused stairs, with whatever contraption he was 'on' somewhere near the center of the room. Lights sparkled everywhere, and every person in the room had feathery wings. Everyone but Kratos. He looked the same as when they were traveling.

Just as he spotted his former companion, the man turned his head and looked directly at him. Their eyes met, one tired and sore, and the other caught slightly off guard. Kratos seemed to go a shade whiter as they stared at each other, but Lloyd didn't bother to notice nor care. He couldn't keep awake or aware any longer, passing out once again.

Lloyd couldn't say how much he tried to wake and failed before he finally did. It was as if that moment he actually did open his eyes wiped out what was left of his energy. Every time he started waking up, he passed out again. When he finally did regain consciousness and control of his faculties, he was laying down on some mattress, tucked in like a child.

The first thing he realized was how much pain he was in. His entire body, particularly his back and stomach, ached from the magical beating Yiggy-pill gave him. How did he even survive that? Well, his exsphere had saved him from falls before. Maybe Mom was looking out for him again. Groaning and struggling, the teen somehow managed to bring his hands to his face and started to rub his eyes open. "Oooooowwwww..."

Breathing out slowly, he flopped his hands on either side of his head and looked at the ceiling. Metallic whitish just like other things he thought he saw earlier. Some unknown light gently filled the room, not blinding him like others or flickering like a flame. The room was cool and he could hear a delicate hum, but nothing else. There was nothing but the cold metal and a hum he couldn't recognize. "Where am I?"

"Welgaia. The City of the Angels on Derris-Kharlan."

Lloyd jerked at the voice, quickly turning his head the source and finding Kratos leaning against a nearby wall. His clothes were a little tattered but other than that he looked the same as always. Why was he standing there? In this place at that? Confusion took over his befuddled brain as he tried to push himself up. The mercenary stood straight and took a step forward. "You shouldn't move too much."

"Like hell I'll stay put." He grunted as he managed to sit up straight, every muscle screaming out in pain. He could see Kratos inch forward from the corner of his eye, but chose to ignore it. The memory of his betrayal and the fight was returning to his mind with every second. Kratos betrayed them. He was one of the 'angels' who turned Colette into a soulless husk. He pretended to be their friend only to turn on them in the end and try to kill them!

'_But..._' a thought struck him as he settled into a less painful position, '_how come I'm still alive?_' His brain hurt trying to figure this out. It didn't make sense. Heartless angels wouldn't keep him or his friends alive. Remiel tried to kill them! Kratos attacked them! And yet...

He turned to look at the man again, glaring his confusion. "What's going on Kratos? Where really am I? What did you do to everyone? Where's Colette?!"

The seraph held up a hand to quiet him, which Lloyd hesitated to do. He had too many questions, and he wasn't sure if he would get the answers. Sighing lowly, the swordsman spoke. "At the very least you should sit against the wall. You're likely to pass out again if nothing is supporting you."

"Stop telling me what to do!" Snapping at the man loudly sapped his strength and brought up a wave of dizziness. The teen swayed and tilted towards the floor, unable to catch himself. Kratos caught him in an instant, helping him sit up with his back against the wall like he suggested. The dizziness ebbed away, letting his fire return. He snapped his sore arms up and tried to shove the man away. It was a feeble attempt if anything. "Let go. Don't touch me."

"Would you rather sleep on the floor?" Lloyd didn't answer, trying to not be dizzy instead. Once it was clear he wasn't going to keel over, the angel stepped away, sighing a bit. "To answer your questions, you are in one of the most secure laboratory cells in Welgaia, which is on Derris-Kharlan. It is a comet made of mana kept within orbit of Aselia by the use of the Eternal Sword and Origin's power. Though it is the home of the Angels and Cruxis, this is not heaven. This is where the Chosens are taken at the end of the regeneration ritual, releasing the final seal.

"The others are here too," Kratos explained, easing the lad's tension a bit. "Alive. Sheena and the Sage siblings are in holding cells on the southern end of Welgaia. They will not be harmed, but will undergo testing for compatibility."

"You're going to experiment on them?!" He couldn't believe this! Back at the Asgard Ranch, Kratos seemed to share their opinion on how horrible it was to make exspheres. He also told them to bear the weight of those lives until the journey was over, to not let their deaths be in vain. And now he was going to turn his friends into exspheres?!

The man looked away momentarily before answering. "Not me. I'm a soldier, not a scientist. They're lucky they have elven blood in them. They will be treated much better than others would be."

"Sheena's human!"

"She needs elven blood in order to form pacts," Kratos stated evenly. "And that is something we need to keep under our hats. If Lord Yggdrasil learns she formed the pact with Undine, her life is forfeit."

A cold shiver ran through Lloyd for a moment at the thought of blondie attacking Sheena or the others. The aches from his attack just didn't stop. The mercenary continued. "They're alive Lloyd, tucked away in a part of Welgaia few pay attention to. Right now they're safe. That's what matters."

"What about Colette?"

The cold question almost seemed to burn inside him. The teen felt the temperature drop when Kratos kept silent for far too long. Something was horribly wrong. "Where is she? What have you done to her?"

"I've tipped my hand as far as I can." All emotion left the man stating facts that stabbed the lad's heart worse than the attack from that nutzo. "Her life was forfeit the moment the cruxis crystal made contact with her skin. She is undergoing the final stages to become Martel's new body."

"So you just left her to die!" His blood started to boil, enraged that this man would seem to go so far to save them, only to stop short of the one who really mattered!

"I've done all I can Lloyden." His voice was quiet, but devoid of emotion. Heartless seraph!

"All you can?! You could have saved her! You could have put an end to the journey before it started! You could-" Exhaustion hit him when Lloyd tried to lunge at him, to hurt him for failing, only to keel forward, nearly falling off the bed once more. Again Kratos caught him, keeping a firm grasp on his shoulders and keeping him from falling any further. Lloyd managed to reach his hand up and grab one of his wrists tightly before breathing out what he wanted to say.

"Why didn't... you stop this?"

Once again Kratos didn't answer, but his grip tightened on the boy's shoulders, trembling for a moment. Lloyd breathed hard as he tried to make himself clear. "You fought at... our side for so long. I thought... You hated... what happened at the Asgard Ranch. You... were so gentle with Colette... during the transformation. Encouraged Genis... and Raine's magic. Helped Sheena… understand... her summoning arts. You taught me... how to fight... Why were you... so kind to us... if you... were just... going to... betray us?"

The soldier didn't move, just held his shoulders firmly. Lloyd was too exhausted to keep going, his grip loosening as spots started to appear in his eyes. After a moment more, he heard the man sigh. "Still too soon. You need to rest."

Lloyd tried to argue, but other than a moan, he could say nothing. Slowly, gently even, Kratos eased him back into the bed, tucking him in like a he would a child. Lloyd couldn't fight him, too sore and tired to do much of anything. All he could do was stare heartbroken at the one who tore his entire world apart. When he finally got a good look at the man's face, he could almost swear he saw pain there. It was so subtle and brief though that he couldn't be sure. It was really hard to understand what this guy was thinking.

Before he knew it, the teen was beginning to drift back into dreamland, yet he struggled to stay awake. He was going to get answers. He had to. Though his breathing was labored, he opened his mouth to speak. His voice though was cut off by Kratos' healing spell over him. It was a lot stronger than the first aid he frequently received in the past, but gentler, like water flowing into him. It was rather soothing...

"Why?" Struggling to keep his eyes open, he captured the eyes of the mercenary. "Why are you..."

"Sleep Lloyden." The order was very soft and gentle, despite the source. It was just the right tone to make the lad obediently start dozing off. A large warm hand found its way into his hair, gently ruffling it in a soothing action. "I will tell you everything in time. But for now, you have to trust me. I won't fail you again."

That was all Lloyd could hear before he passed out once more, this time into a long, much needed sleep. He was so confused, unsure of what to believe or say next. Kratos betrayed them, yet he was saving him? And how was this saving? So many questions, so little answers. The strangest one though rested in the hand that remained on his head.

Despite everything that happened, why did he feel safe?

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><p>AN: well? How do you like super confused Lloyd? I'm trying to keep everything from his perspective, so this should be fun. Just gotta get past Lloyd being injured before the story really takes off. hope you've liked! and don't forget to comment. ^^V


	3. 3 – His Prison

Next is a scene that should happen when people of one technological era meets another one. Little potty humor here. =P Enjoy!

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><p><em>3 – His Prison<em>

Lloyd didn't have a clue what was going on when he finally woke up, just that he ached all over and really had to pee. Muscles protesting, he managed to push himself into a sitting position and look around the dimly lit room.

Four off-white walls that had a metal sheen surrounded him, along with a ceiling and floor that could be made of the same material. There were strange glass panels along the ceiling edges which gave off a soft light, bright enough to see clearly but dark enough to sleep. He could see a strange seat and a sink in the opposite corner of his bed, both bolted to the wall, but that was all there was to the room.

There was no door. Not even a hint of one.

"Ah crap..." Lloyd gripped his head tightly as he realized just how trapped he was. How the hell was he supposed to get out of this one?! How did he even get in there? What kind of magic did these guys have? "Wait, that one guy, Magnius, he had a lot of those... portal thingies..."

He threw his legs over the edge of his bed, only hurting a little from the movement, and put his bare feet on the ground. The floor was cool and hard, much like the place felt in general. It also had a very subtle vibration. "Weird..."

Slowly he pushed himself upright, wincing as his muscles ached all over. He was stiff and everything felt weird, off. He teetered for a moment, regaining his balance. It felt like he hadn't used his legs in a long time and suddenly had them again. Remembering the pain he felt and the dizziness that came with it all those other times he woke up, the teen cautiously began walking around the room, one hand on the cool wall to make sure he didn't fall to his doom.

It took a little while, but after five minutes or so, Lloyd felt comfortable walking again, his head no longer heavy or dizzy. How long had he been asleep? Looking around once more, he tried to find something that he recognized besides the bed and weird sink. No door, a weird chair with a hole in it (it had water resting at the bottom of it too. What the heck was that?!), and weird lights surrounding the room. That was it. No weird portal thingie, no sparkling things to press, just those bare walls and those weird things in the other corner. Couldn't they have left him a bucket to do his business in? That place was really gonna smell soon.

"Okay, slow down Lloyd," he told himself, trying to think fast. The pressure was really building inside him. Thinking back to Kratos (grudgingly) and what he said, this place was a cell for some kind of lab. That meant they wanted him alive and healthy right? "So maybe they did leave something..."

He looked back to the weird chair with water at the bottom and blanched. Was that their idea of a chamber pot? Sighing, the young swordsman went to the thing and really took a good look at it. There was actually a roll of soft paper next to it, which he could only guess the uses for that was. Maybe it was better than leaves? His insides protested against him as he debated what the contraption was. Groaning, he gave in and pulled his pants down to use what had to be the thing left for him to use for this exact purpose.

Ten minutes later he was back to staring at it and wondering what was supposed to happen now. Looking over the top of it, he saw a lever and wondered what it did. Curiosity won over his hand and he pressed it downwards. Instantly water swirled in the bowl below, the sound startling him enough to pull back, but not stopping him from watching what happened next. Pretty soon, everything he just got out his body was gone, down the hole at the bottom of the bowl and far out of sight. The bowl even refilled itself for the next time he needed it.

"COOL!" Like a little kid, he pulled the lever again and watched the water swirl once more. Then he did it a third time, temporarily fascinated by the device before him. Watching the water disappear a fourth time, Lloyd realized his hands were dirty and decided to use the clean water inside to take care of that. The fifth time it went away, his hands were washed off as if they were in a river.

"You're supposed to use the sink for your hands Lloyd."

Instantly Lloyd was on his feet, turning into a fighting stance to take out the owner of that voice. Kratos stood in a doorway that wasn't there before, unarmed and carrying a few things in one arm. For some reason, even though he had his usual stoic face up, he seemed amused, even relaxed. Big mistake.

"You bastard!" The brash teen dived towards him, sure that even if he couldn't beat him in a fight, he could at least slip past him to the doorway beyond him. He was always faster than that guy anyway.

But not this time. He didn't even get two feet closer before Kratos stepped out of the doorway and it disappeared again. The man seemed to only take two steps forward, closed the distance between them, and tossed a towel he had in his stack over the teen's head, blinding him. For once, Lloyd wasn't fast enough to dodge or catch it. He was _always_ fast enough to do that! Shocked and blinded, he stumbled to a stop around the same time Kratos strode past him. Just after actually.

"Use that to dry your hands. I'm glad you learned how to use a toilet on your own, but use the sink to wash your hands from now on. Left lever gives you hot water and right gives you cold. Use hot for cleaning and cold for drinking. You'll have regularly scheduled showers in another room while under guard and a new change of clothes every day. One of my subordinates will bring you food every few hours, and once you are fully well, the lights will be adjusted for regular daylight hours. Further adjustments to these conditions will follow as time progresses."

"What the hell are you talking about?!" Lloyd jerked around, pulling the towel off of his head to see the man clearly at last, wincing momentarily from the movement. The traitor put a clear yet not glass cup on the side of the sink for him to use later. Well, at least he wouldn't have to beg for water.

"These are the conditions you will live under while in my care here."

"Your _care_?!" What kind of ridiculous idea was that? "You trapped me here! You kidnapped Colette and imprisoned me and my friends!"

"It was this or death at Lord Yggdrasil's hands." Finally the man glared at him, his patience running thin. "Understand that. As you are right now, you don't have a chance against him. You couldn't even defeat me."

"Want a bet?!" The man was unarmed. Lloyd had a chance, despite his aching body. Again he lunged at the former mercenary, throwing everything he had into a punch.

It was easily dodged.

Not letting himself be defeated, he turned back to him and swung again.

Another dodge.

Again and again Lloyd tried to hit the man, missing each time. Something was wrong. Something had to be! Quickly running out of breath, the teen glared at the cool soldier before him. "Fight me dammit!"

"Another day."

"Were you always holding back against me?!" Frustration mixed with his anger as he realized he'd never be able to get a blow in at this rate. The man was only pretending to train him. He never deserved the title of teacher!

Kratos raised one eyebrow at him before sighing pityingly. "You still haven't realized..."

"Realized what?!" Every second the teen felt angrier and angrier! How dare this man make a mockery of him! He was really happy during their training sessions back then. And now he learned it was all an act to lure him into some kind of sense of security. All so he could get Colette to Yiggi-sill.

"As a teacher, I had to hold back," the man smoothly informed him. "But I was not mocking you. Now or then."

"Then why-"

"Take a look at your hand Lloyd."

Not wanting to because there was an enemy before him, Lloyd carefully looked down to his hands while keeping the man in his sight. One looked completely normal to him. The other one, the one baring his exsphere, did not. "What the..."

His heart dropped to his shoes as he took in the sight. Some kind of secondary key crest sat over his exsphere and standard key crest. It was almost the same shape of his, but thicker and larger. His hand felt heavier, but other than that, he didn't notice it was there until then. "What the hell is this?!"

"It's a seal crest." Kratos' simple statement still baffled the boy as he continued to explain. "The dwarves here have been developing them under another's orders in hopes to create a way to develop expheres without harming the host body."

"You have dwarves?!" That was news to him. Dirk didn't talk to him about his kind but he could only assume something had happened to separate him from the others.

The mercenary merely raised an eyebrow at his question, ignoring it. "The crest has two functions: suppress the exsphere's abilities and develop its growth. They are rather difficult to make, so the one you are wearing is a prototype. Should this experiment succeed, no lives in the future will be lost."

"So I'm just some test subject," Lloyd spat out. "Just like my mom."

He could almost swear Kratos flinched at the statement. "Your exsphere won't be the cause of your death Lloyd. This could eliminate human ranches for good."

"Or we could just take out Yiggy-pill pretty boy and destroy the ranches," he stated spitefully. "End the Desians."

"Yggdrasil," the man corrected, but didn't argue.

"I'm not gonna be your lab rat!" Glaring, the teen grabbed the crest on his hand and tried to take it off. It wouldn't budge. Frustrated even more, he tried grabbing different points on it that seemed to be the release and squeezed. It did not do anything but strain his hand. Nearly exhausting himself, he looked back to the man who put it on him. "Take it off!"

"No."

"I'm not gonna wear it!"

"Until I say otherwise, you are."

"Get it off of me Kratos!"

"It's either the seal crest or we adhere the exsphere to your chest and you really do become like any other human at one of the ranches." A firm glare put the kid in his place but did not end the man's lecture. "This was the only thing to do Lloyden. Your best option. One way or another, you have to participate in the experiment. It's the only way to save your life."

"By dooming it?!" How could this man just-

"You're not doomed." Sighing heavily, the man muttered in the ancient language of the angels. Or he assumed it was the angelic language. What else could it be? Eventually he composed himself and explained. "The seal crest is not dangerous. It merely blocks you from using the exsphere's benefits and instead uses the energy created by sphere and host to increase the sphere's power. In short, it is safely developing the exsphere into a cruxis crystal, without sacrificing a life or the chance it will overload the host's body.

"The process though blocks you from using the exsphere like you had in the past. In short," he looked into the kid's eyes as he stated the simple fact, "until I say otherwise, you are an ordinary human carrying around an exsphere. You do not have the strength, speed, or endurance you had previously. This is why you are still tired after your encounter with Lord Yggdrasil. You need sleep and food now more than ever Lloyd. Take advantage of this time and rest up before things get tough."

"What do you mean by that?" He dreaded the answer, but Lloyd needed everything spelled out for him to believe it. He was not liking the implications of what was to come at all.

"It means," the swordsman started as if he were a mere child, "that once you are rested up, the development of the exsphere will start. You saw what happened at the ranches. You'll be experiencing similar treatment here."

"So you're gonna torture me." The statement was definite, final. They both saw the pointless tasks the people had to do at the ranches, the whipping, the abuse... some were even torn apart by sadistic half-elves. Kratos was just like them after all.

The mercenary took a deep breath before speaking. "That's one way of putting it. In order for an exsphere to develop, its host must undergo stress. There are a lot more methods towards getting the same results than what you saw at the ranches. Those were just the easiest and most common ways."

"Bastard." The teen shook, glaring venom at the man before him. He truly was their enemy. His enemy. Who knew what was happening to his friends. To Colette. "You really are a heartless jerk. You're no better than Kvar!"

That got the angel moving in an instant. Before Lloyd could even blink, he was thrown back onto the bed and pinned down with enough force to stop his voice for a good long while. Cold rage appeared on the man's face, almost exactly how it was when he struck out that Cardinal. He leaned into Lloyd's face, somehow trying to control his breathing, and stopped mere millimeters from his ear.

"I am _nothing_ like Kvar," came his harsh whisper. "What I am doing is giving you the _best chance you have_. _Think_ about where you are and the positions we are in _before_ shooting off that mouth of yours. One false move and Lord Yggdrasil won't listen to me when he has another tantrum. Learn patience Lloyd."

Starting to regain his breath, Lloyd swallowed what was in his mouth before nodding. He forgot how terrifying this man could be. Whatever he was talking about, the teen could tell only two things: he stepped on a landmine comparing him to Kvar, and something else was going on he wasn't telling him. What on Sylverant was going on in this guy's head?

Somehow satisfied, the angel eased off of him and stood to his full height. His earlier anger seemed gone, back under the guise of an emotionless mercenary. Kratos looked over him one more time before nodding to himself. "Ava will bring you food in an hour, along with something to do while your body finishes recuperating. Do not try to escape while under her and Marcus' care. The remaining Grand Cardinals and Lord Yggdrasil have other plans for you and your exsphere. Unless you know the full layout of Welgaia and how to leave, you will likely be dead within hours, or worse.

"Be a good boy and do as you're told, and you might make it out of this alive." With that, Kratos walked towards where there must have been a door earlier. He waved his hand over some spot on the wall and that doorway appeared again. Lloyd barely managed to see it all from the corner of his eye, but couldn't move fast enough to get to it.

The room was sealed back up before the teen could even roll to his side to get up. Glaring at the spot his captor disappeared through, he slammed his fist against the bed. "Dammit!"

None of this made sense. What was Kratos talking about? What was with this 'seal crest' anyway? What was he planning? Running his hands through his hair, the swordsman tried to figure out what in the world this man was really thinking. Whose side was he on? Friend? Foe? He certainly wasn't a good guy. Using him like this for an experiment and threatening him like that...

Who really was Kratos? And what was he aiming at? "What the hell is going on?!"

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><p>AN: Totally made up the seal crest for my own enjoyment. If they could develop expheres that way, I bet Yuan and Kratos would jump at the chance to use them. It was my best idea for how to keep Lloyd there and safe while appeasing Yggdrasil (or Yiggy-pill =P). Gee, I wonder what will happen as time progresses...

so yeah, my bathroom joke wasn't that great, but this is all based on the assumption that indoor plumbing hasn't gotten that far in the declining world. they almost never have bathrooms in video games! So I gave Lloyd a bathroom scene. There isn't much in that way overall, but it is a question that comes up when people are injured. Didn't want to give him a bedpan...

Potty comments done. Please share your own! So few reviews make me sad! T-T


	4. 4 – Two More Angels

Warning: OC's ahead. Honestly, do you think Kratos would leave his son alone behind enemy lines without some kind of protection? All the authority and security in the world won't stop the most determined of people. So I gave Kratos some underlings that are mostly there for fodder. He does choose his underlings with care though. These foils aren't the main attraction so yeah. That's all I've got to say on them. Enjoy!

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><p><em>4 – Two More Angels<em>

An hour drags on forever when you have nothing to do. Lloyd got bored checking out everything about the toilet and sink long before the door opened again and two angels blocked the way to the outside. The first one was a woman, her jade eyes and silver hair did not add any youth to her, easily looking like a human woman in her forties. She was a little shorter than Lloyd and carried a plate of food for him to eat, setting the tray on the corner of his bed.

"Please, eat." This had to be Ava.

Though there was clearly a consciousness behind her eyes, her face hardly moved. No one could possibly be that calm. The man behind her certainly wasn't. This… Marcus… was large, with shrewd black eyes that didn't believe anyone. His hair was jet black and looked like he cut it with a dull knife. With those muscles and scar across his left hand, he may have. He stayed in the doorway with a sword in hand, his feathery wings further blocked any attempt at escape.

These two were to be his jailers and 'caretakers'. Perfect. Glaring back at the angels and the food, the teen lied. "Not hungry."

As irony would dictate, that was when his stomach growled. He grabbed his middle painfully, turning red without thinking about it. To his amazement, neither angel commented or laughed at him about it. In fact, it looked like Marcus rolled his eyes. Ava though calmly motioned back to the food. "Please eat. Lord Kratos insists you have nourishment at least three times daily."

"Why?" Lloyd demanded sharply. "I'm his prisoner."

Both angels seemed to pause for a moment, nearly roll their eyes, and sigh softly as if he was a childish idiot. The angel lady explained as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "If the host body dies from starvation, then the experiment is a failure. Do not throw away the life Lord Kratos preserved for the sake of your pride."

"If you do not willingly eat human," Marcus finally spoke in a rough tone, "we will feed you. Your life means more to Lord Kratos than your foolish pride."

The teen glared at the two of them, then the sword in the big angel's hand. With his exsphere no longer giving him the boost he needed, he knew he didn't have a chance against this guy. And who knew what the lady could dish out. Professor Sage may look classy and delicate, but she could pack a wallop when mad. Choosing to not test his luck this time, Lloyd went back to his bed and started picking at the food.

A white soup and a sandwich greeted his eyes and he started to feel really hungry once again. Carefully though, he picked up the sandwich and took a look inside. Glaring a bit, he picked out the tomatoes and left them on the plate. This did not sit right with Marcus. "Eat all you are given human."

"That is enough." Honestly, Lloyd was a little surprised by the firm note in Ava's voice, watching her glare at the man near her. Her eyes had narrowed in an authoritative way, somewhat frightening him. "Lord Kratos said to ensure he ate. He does not have to eat everything, just enough to satisfy."

"Enough to satisfy huh?" The teen smirked before taking the sandwich to his lips. "Well sorry to disappoint, but I don't think you have enough. I hadn't eaten since the morning I came here. What time is it anyway?"

"Irrelevant." Marcus' attitude was getting old fast.

"There is neither day nor night in Welgaia," Ava stated evenly, more forthcoming than her coworker. "Derris Kharlan lies between the two worlds, and to maintain the balance we do not use the sleeping cycle lower races are accustomed to."

"You don't sleep?" Lloyd was nearly shocked out of eating, startled and wary of the news. That meant-

"You won't be able to slip out in the dead of night." Marcus' mouth was a little too annoying for the lad's tastes. He guessed right too. Lloyd was trying to think of an escape plan but needed to know everything he could first. Kratos' warnings earlier rang easily in his mind. "You cannot even leave this room without assistance."

"Why?" He had too many questions and not enough answers. Who knew what he could learn from these two.

"Eat your sandwich and I shall tell you." Ava's calm personality reminded the lad of Colette, but the deal sounded more like the professor. Pouting slightly, Lloyd took a bight of his meal to satisfy her. Then his hunger returned in full and he started scarfing his food. He was starting to work his way on the soup (a creamy, milky kind with some kind of fish and potato in it) when he heard the angel speak more, a little humor in her voice. "Many of the locks require cruxis crystals to unlock them. This room is no acceptation."

"Like the pillars at the seals!" It clicked in his head a lot faster than most things he learned at school. Colette was the only one able to open the doors to the seals, but it didn't make a lot of sense for her to be able to do it with a touch. If the cruxis crystal was a key, like the energy from it filling her body and transmitting it to the stone (the electricity theory course at school was pretty interesting), then she'd be able to open anything with that kind of lock. The angels used the same kind of technology here too?

The lady nodded, a small smile on her face. "Exactly right."

Marcus seemed to mumble something he couldn't understand, almost growling sarcastically. Though Lloyd didn't understand a word of it, he got the general idea, and it ticked him off. Ava though stepped in, coolly and sharply retorting whatever he said. Not liking being left out, Lloyd put down his soup and demanded answers. "What are you two talking about?"

"Nothing you need be concerned about."

"Just comparing you to someone else we know." Ava glanced coldly at Marcus for his answer, clearly unhappy that he honestly answered for some reason. Lloyd was getting really confused with these two. Ava must be the one in charge in some way, but Marcus was the obvious muscle. And they both knew something he didn't.

"Who?"

One question silenced both of them, making him even more curious. His heart started to beat a little faster as possibilities surged through his mind, and evidently his mouth. "People on your side keep saying I 'bare a resemblance' to someone. Who are you guys talking about? Who do you know that I'm similar to? Who do I look like?"

The angels remained silent, eerily so. It only got him to talk more. "Is it my mom? My dad? Do you guys know them? Did _everyone_ know them? Mom was an experiment too so is she-"

"You speak nonsense." Marcus' angry voice only encouraged Lloyd's rabid thoughts.

"Then was it my dad? Do you know my dad? Did he fight against you guys too? He was a great hero wasn't he! He must have-"

"You seem to be done eating." Ava gently took the tray of food from Lloyd's lap and stood up to leave. Calmly she looked him in the eye and asked, "Is your stomach satisfied?"

"That doesn't matter! Just-"

"If you wish for more than this amount of sustenance in the future, it is best to say so now." Her eyes narrowed slightly, startling him. From the beginning she seemed to be the gentler of the two. Now he wasn't so sure. This lady had the power to starve him.

"Well… I usually eat more than one sandwich, and something else on the side-"

"The next meal will have more then." She nodded her head respectfully and headed towards the door. Lloyd leapt to his feet, anxious for answers.

"Wait! What about-"

Without warning Marcus flung a thin book at him, cutting him off. He barely managed to dodge it, letting it hit the wall and the bed afterwards. "HEY!"

"Lord Kratos orders you to read that book before he returns. Rest, recover, and read. All other activities are prohibited until further notice."

"Like hell. Where is he?!" Lloyd didn't get an answer. By then Ava had safely made it through the door, allowing Marcus to step back and the entryway to vanish again with a swish. "HEY! Answer me dammit!"

Ticked off, he strode over to where the door was and started pounding on it while shouting insults. "Coward! Fakes! Come back in here and answer my questions you… winged weirdo!"

Not his best insults but the teen didn't have a clue how else to shout at him. His brain was too full of questions, and only kept on going. Questions like 'where's Colette', 'where were his friends', 'what did they have planned for him' were pushed back for the new ones these two gave him. 'Who were they comparing him to' and 'where was Kratos' leapt to the front of his mind, and it bugged him to no end. It looked like these angels had answers to questions that plagued him for a lot longer than the past day or so.

"What the hell is going on?"

His energy nearly sapped dry from his outburst (lasting a good ten minutes or so at the invisible door), Lloyd turned and slid his back against the wall, sitting to catch his breath. Never had he felt so tired after being awake for such a short amount of time. His head was buzzing, his body still ached, and he didn't know what to do. All he could do was pray everything would turn out alright.

But just who would he be praying to? Lolling his head to the side Lloyd looked over to the book left for him on the bed. No doubt it would be full of Cruxis propaganda, but considering how much energy he actually had, it was literally the only thing to do other than sleeping. Sighing, the swordsman forced himself to crawl over to the bed to start the tedious task of reading something no doubt dry, boring, and difficult.

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><p>AN: Lloyd is a lot smarter than he gives himself credit for. Remember when he figured out how to save the seed between disks? He was referring to the lessons Raine gave him and he clicked it with a practical application very quickly. So he'd likely figure out those kinds of locks if he was told about them. Then there's the whole 'he does bare a resemblance' thing that kept cropping up in the beginning. I doubt the comparison would stop when he's in the enemy's clutches.

How'd you like the angels? Next chapter will complicate things, and simplify them later. Anywho, please comment. I need to know how people feel about this. Also I have a few ToS shorts that have no comments and they're feeling lonely. T-T


	5. 5 – Yggdrasil's Tantrum

Take note: this is little over a day since the tower of salvation. Also a little on the book here. Enjoy!

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><p><em>5 – Yggdrasil's Tantrum<em>

The book wasn't boring. It wasn't Cruxis propaganda either. The book was very old with large, clear letters, and seemed to be made for teaching children about the summon spirits. It even had pretty pictures.

Lloyd laid on the bed, reading it with interest, though slowly. The Professor never got into the details about these guys, and nothing about how they once interacted with people. He never even heard of half the places they resided. Where was Flanoir anyway? Was it in Tethe'alla? Why was Celsius there? Were there seals in Tethe'alla too?

Come to think of it, Sheena did say there was a Chosen in Tethe'alla. Did that mean the regeneration journey took place in both worlds? The way this book talked about them though, the summon spirits, all twelve of them (he thought there was only nine!), lived in the same world.

"Something's really weird here." He looked up from reading about Celsius and her pet dog Fenrir as thoughts plagued him. "I never heard these stories before. I couldn't have been dozing off in class that much, could I?"

Thinking about it for a moment longer, Lloyd only became more frustrated. Sighing in defeat, he tried to give up. "Why is the world making less and less sense?"

Nothing made sense much anymore. Becoming an angel meant dying as a human being, really turning into a doll with wings. Desians were working with the angels. There were two worlds and Tethe'alla wasn't the moon. Mercenaries were angels in disguise. He was now a test subject like his mother. The enemy knew more about his family than he did. Was his whole life, his entire world, a giant lie? Somehow the only thing that was making sense these days were the stories about the summon spirits and the fact that his other friends were really his friends. Nothing else fit the world he knew.

Sighing he went back to reading, learning how Celsius seemed to prefer the company of animals over humans. She was the opposite of Efreet who seemed to love being worshiped by humans. Made sense with those fire ruins they checked out all those months ago. Professor Sage was going crazy exploring the place, explaining everything she could, or guessing. It was hard to tell with that lady. As smart as she was, she didn't know the stories in this book. It had to be right too. It was too old not to know these things.

He was flipping a page when the door swished open, catching his attention. Who was-

_CRACK_

Before Lloyd could even put together a thought, the pressure of a cannonball struck him against the wall. He didn't even have time to breathe in order to scream. Familiar pain of cracked ribs flooded his torso seconds before he let out a gasp for air. What was-

A hand grabbed his shirt and threw him to the other side of the room, nearly head first. Instinct made him turn so his back struck it first. He landed on all fours on the floor rasping for breath. Who was attacking him? Why? His ears rang for a moment, then he heard the shouting from some white figure looming over him.

"-in cahoots with them! How dare you even _think_ about going against me _human_!" The voice was familiar, but only a little. He heard it before, but not like this. Last time it was mocking, cool, and dangerous. Now it was fire and rage. Hate poured off this person in waterfalls. But who was it? And why did he hate Lloyd so much?

"Where did they take her?! Where did they take Martel's vessel?!" Confusion flooded Lloyd's brain, or tried to, running into a lot of interference with the pain throughout his body. Shaking his head, he tried to look up and demand what he was talking about, only to get kicked in the gut by a shiny white boot. Coughs mixed with a little blood was the only thing coming from him for the moment. "Answer me whelp! Where did they take her?!"

Somehow turned on his back, he tried to focus on the face of his attacker so maybe he could answer his question. Not like he gave him any idea what he was talking about to begin with, but maybe a reference would help. Why was this guy attacking him? What did he-

Finally he saw the man's face, and it wasn't good. That blond, white spandex loving angel, Yig-something-or-other, was going to kill him, brutally. Right then and there. What did he do to tick this guy off so much?! Hate purer than any ore he refined blared from this man's face in a way he couldn't even imagine. It was official. Yig-silly-blond-dude hated him.

Why? They only met the other day.

"Answer me!"

"…You're nuts."

Lloyd's astute observation earned him a well-aimed kick to his gut, knocking the air clear out of his lungs and some of his lunch. At least one more rib was added to his injuries too. Coughing and grasping for breath, blondie yanked him by his hair off the floor and got way too close to his face, snarling threats.

"You had something to do with this! I know it! Where did those Renegades take her! Tell me!"

"Wh… what are you…"

"Don't play stupid human! You're one of them!"

'_One of what?_' Fear, pain, and confusion kept flooding Lloyd's mind, unable to answer anything even if he knew what the questions were. '_What the hell is going on?_'

Yigs growled once more, getting angrier with every breath. Beyond mad, he threw Lloyd once again to another wall. "ANSWER ME!"

That was the last thing Lloyd could make out clearly, this time hitting his head. Ringing filled his ears and his head felt heavy, dizzy. This wasn't good. For a moment he felt someone grabbing his shirt, probably to throw him again, but something else stopped that hand from doing more than grabbing him. Murmurs mixed with shouting, but he couldn't make it out. Whoever interfered was negotiating with crazy Yiggie? Dazed, he tried to refocus his ears, as nothing else wanted to work really.

"-couldn't possibly have anything to do with it!"

Lloyd's breath hitched for a moment in recognition. Kratos. He was talking to Blondie.

"You don't know-"

"The first time he ran into the Renegades, he thought they were Desians attempting to kill the Chosen. We ran across them only once on the journey after, and there was no time to talk or make alliances. He doesn't even know who the Renegades are. Even if he did, he's been kept here for the past twenty-eight hours. He had _nothing_ to do with their strike. If he had, he would not _be_ here."

Silence filled the room, drawing Lloyd's barely functioning eyes upwards to where the verbal fight over him took place. Yigster was glaring skeptically at Kratos, who held his wrist and his gaze with a firm teaching glare Lloyd was all too familiar with. It looked like it was working on this guy too. He was listening, even if he didn't like it. There must have been something unspoken between them because a moment later Kratos removed his hand from his boss' wrist.

'_No… don't do that… he'll kill me!_' Lloyd's mental objections couldn't be heard, but they weren't needed either. Spandex-man slowly let go of his shirt, casting him a hateful glare he really could not understand. Still, he stood up to his full height, wings and all, scarier than Nifiheim itself. Pure panic started bubbling in the usually fearless swordsman. Pain and fear must have shown on his face, because the next thing he saw was that evil, hurtful, insane man's satisfied smirk.

"See he stays here." In an instant the smirk was gone, and the angel of insanity marched out the door. Kratos bowed at his exit, waiting for a minute or two, before swiftly turning straight to Lloyd, shivering and paralyzed, barely able to breathe.

"Lloyd. Look at me." Rough hands gently turned the teen's head until they were facing each other. If Lloyd wasn't so petrified from that man's murderous gaze, he would hear the subtle worry in Kratos' voice and see the strain around his eyes. Instead, all his mind could see was the angel who wanted him dead. "_Look_ at me."

It was a struggle to see him, but eventually he did, his jaw quivering while aching from impact. Their eyes met but Lloyd couldn't make his voice work. Kratos' lips were moving, but everything said just slipped pass his thoughts without a care. What did he do to deserve this pain? Why did Kratos save him? How did he manage to save him from his crazy boss? Was he really saved?

Dizziness mixed with everything else, forcing his eyes closed and slumping his body forward. Strong arms caught him, jarring him slightly to keep him awake. "Lloyd!"

Cold blackness took him again, and he really did not want to wake up this time.

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><p>AN: Dun dun DUUUUNNN! Yeah, I had fun making fun of Yggdrasil's name. Old nordic words need more vowels. Mithos may be a little out of character, but I've made him hate Lloyd for reasons that will become clear much later in the future. Lloyd's gonna be terrified of him for a while, just so you know. Any guesses what happened? I'll have Kratos explain everything soon enough, but the winner of the guessing game gets a cyber cookie!

Updates are gonna be slower because I'm still working on chapter 7. the consequences of this chapter are a bit trying, but i'm working on it! Please comment! I hope to get the cover up on this soon. X3


	6. 6 – Owwie With a Touch of Why

Those who guessed, and rightly at that, go grab your cookies! FYI, updates are going to slow down for a while due to the next chapter not being done yet. and I got distracted with another AU for this and I'm working on it along with others. ^^; read happy! if you pester me enough, I might share details on future projects. And yes, I drew that cover. It's a future scene FYI. =P

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><p><em>6 – Owwie With a Touch of Why<em>

Looked like the universe hated him. Lloyd woke up, back on the bed and with new bandages on his body, with his eyes glued shut. Murmuring was going on above him, the voices familiar yet not. Someone was holding his hand, the one with the exsphere on it, and it seemed to be gentle but rough at the same time. Who was at his side? Before he could think more about it, his hand was tucked under the blanket the rest of him was in, and the voices continued. If only he could open his eyes…

"We could not stop him from coming Lord Kratos." That was Marcus. It had to be. "Lord Yggdrasil's orders are absolute."

"I'm not blaming you two." Kratos. He was there next to him. He could even feel his body heat through the blankets. He seemed tired. "You followed your orders perfectly."

"The Renegades are then to blame."

A pause before an answer. "Maybe."

"Lord Kratos," Ava, "does this not make your goals easier?"

There was no answer, verbally at least. Lloyd felt fingers brush his hair out of his face, then gently feel his head. A sigh escaped the seraph's mouth a moment later. "His recovery will take longer now."

A gentle kind of power, like a slow stream, came from the man's hand and into the teen's body, relaxing him. Healing seemed to lull his aching muscles into contentment, but did little to help his ribs. His head felt a lot better, if hazy. Unconsciously the lad turned into the hand, wanting more of the soothing sensation and less pain. This just felt so good…

Slowly the flow ended, and the hand left his head. He wanted it back. The warmth and safety it gave him made Lloyd feel a lot better. He turned more towards it, only to feel weight leave the bed. They were leaving him to rest.

"Stay at your post. Ava, check on him every half hour. Make sure his condition doesn't worsen."

"Understood."

Something was set near his head, then the presence of any kind of bodies left with a swish. A little lonely and cold, a single tear found its way out before he passed out completely again.

Once more Lloyd found it difficult to keep awake for an unknown amount of time. It could have been days or just a few hours. Either way, his semi-awake moments were silent for the most part. Once or twice he found Ava leaning over him, and he had a feeling Kratos came in to check on him a few times, but Marcus didn't appear once. Well that was fine. Whenever Lloyd had a chance to think about it, he was sure that angel had the healing touch of a spike covered brick. Then again Kratos was surprisingly gentle.

After who knew how long, Lloyd finally managed to stay awake, and his entire body hated him for it. Groaning, the teen tried to sit up, instead falling straight back into his pillow. "I think I'll just die right here thank you. Oww…"

Flopping an arm over his head, he tried to assess what happened to him. Crazy Yiggy threw him around like a rag doll, ignoring all the rules of combat Kratos drilled into his head. Yeah, like bad guys followed rules. The guy hated him for some reason, and for the last few moments of consciousness, Lloyd was seriously scared of the guy. Mr. Leader of Cruxis and the Desians was crazy, violent, hated him and blamed him for something that happened. If it weren't for Kratos…

Fear and shame sent shivers down his spine at the thought. That guy really did save his life. Twice. The blond nutjob really wanted him dead. Why? And why did Kratos want him to live so badly? The exsphere? That didn't sit right with him. Nothing made sense.

Shifting a little, Lloyd's elbow knocked into something hard on the open end of his bed. Curious, he turned his aching head and spotted the book he was reading from earlier. Somehow it managed to hop back onto the bed and in easy reach while he was sleeping. As interesting as that was, he just didn't care to pick it up. Looking at the ceiling in a daze was just too entertaining at that moment.

Some time later the door swished open, calling his attention to it. Ava gracefully came to his side with some medical supplies he recognized (mostly gels and bandages), her eyes taking their dear sweet time finding his. She blinked once then nodded. "I see you are awake. Do you require assistance relieving yourself?"

"Huh?" Clueless as to what she meant, the teen just gaped at her like a fish in a bowl. Need help? With what?

She must have caught on a little to his thoughts, telling him what he wanted to know without being asked. "You have been asleep for nearly twenty hours. In total, from the time Lord Kratos took you from the Tower of Salvation, you have been in Welgaia for over two days. Mostly unconscious. Do you require assistance relieving yourself?"

"Re-" He coughed for about a minute, his lungs on fire, then calmed down to try talking again. "Relieving how?"

The lady gave him a slightly stern look before setting her items on the floor near the bed. "Do you need help reaching the toilet?"

'_Toilet?_' For a moment Lloyd was lost on the term, but after a minute he remembered what Kratos called that strange white chamber pot with the refilling bowl. Donning in his eyes, he turned red from embarrassment. "I… ah…"

"I assisted in changing your attire before," she told him easily, not amused or flustered by the implications. "There is no hiding required on my behalf. Do you need assistance in relieving yourself?"

Flustered beyond anything he felt before, he tried to push himself up once again, barely making it into an upright position. His entire body protested against him, especially his ribs and back. Yiggy needed anger management. Hissing, he missed the angel coming to his side already to help him. Lloyd's head swam and everything killed him, demanding he stay where he was, but as soon as he was upright, his need to go became nigh unbearable. Without asking, he found the lady helping him onto his feet, gently wrapping her arm under his shoulders and supporting him as he hobbled to the toilet on the far side of the room.

She even helped him pull down his pants and sit on the chair. So humiliating.

Once he was done 'relieving himself', Ava helped him back to his bed, keeping him upright for treatment. She passed him a bottle filled with water as she worked, rebandaging his ribs and head to perfection. The water distracted him for a good minute or so, beyond his usual thirsty, but soon he was left watching as the lady work on him. He hissed in pain a few times when she hit sensitive areas and disinfected them, but it wasn't so horrible he had to object. Professor Sage was a lot more brutal in her healing methods. Soon enough she was done, and he was exhausted.

"Do you wish to eat before laying back down?"

Food. His stomach growled painfully, but exhaustion was winning over hunger at that moment. His eyes were collapsing on him already. Seeing this, the lady helped him lay down once again, tucking him under the blankets with care. Was she the one who did it before? Or was that really Kratos? The image settled in his mind for a second, then everything went dark again.

It was his unbearable thirst that woke him next time, mouth begging to be relieved. Groaning, Lloyd struggled to open his eyes once again. He tried to stretch at the same time, bringing back pain and a gasp for air. A firm, callused hand touched his shoulder, pushing him gently back into the bed. "Easy there. You shouldn't move too much."

"Kra-" Coughing took over his voice as he tried to identify who was with him now. Kratos' hand stayed with him, giving support and keeping the fit from aggravating his wounds. As soon as it calmed down, Lloyd managed to open his eyes and see the angel in question without any problems. The man was wearing some strange white uniform with a lot of belts, a different sword at his hip than he remembered from their journey together. He really was someone completely different than the mercenary they knew.

And now he was offering him a drink from a bottle. Lloyd couldn't object when he sat on the edge of the bed, helped position him better, and tilted both his head and the bottle in a way he could drink from it. The teen greedily drank every drop, bringing up a hand to keep it there whenever Kratos tried to take it away. "Easy, easy… You'll make yourself sick."

"Don't care," he managed to murmur when the bottle was nearly dry. Sated, the young swordsman leaned back, away from the drink, signifying he was done. Kratos nodded, put the bottle on the ground, then proceeded to help him back into the bed. Looking at the man in confusion, Lloyd spoke as clearly as he could. "What are you doing here? Why are you-"

"Answers will come in time Lloyden." Pulling the blankets over the boy, the angel proceeded to place his hands on the lad's head, casting the now familiar healing spell. It wasn't like First Aid, something quick so he could get back to fighting, but like water. For a moment he thought he heard the words, "Healing Stream", which made sense now if he thought about it. Why hadn't he used it before? It really helped his head focus on what was going on around him. "Better?"

"A little." His ribs and back were still aching, but he doubted there as anything more to be done for them right then. "How long-"

Sighing slightly, Kratos looked away before answering. "We left Hima three days ago."

"Three days?!" Surprise and anger jolted him a bit, only bringing more pain to his body. He held back a shout, barely, and breathed a little harder as he tried to stay on the bed. "How… how could I-"

"Your wounds, compounded with the second attack, are extensive. Most of them are internal. They take time to heal, even with the best medicine and magic available." Shaking his head, the angel sat down on a strange metal chair that wasn't there the previous few days. "You lasted better from the first attack due to your exsphere, but with its power now subdued, you had no defense against Lord Yggdrasil's strikes. If I hadn't stopped him when I did, you would likely be waking in intensive care a week from now.

"As it is, you're confined to bed rest for at least a week. Ava or myself will be assisting you with your personal needs until you are able to handle it on your own without injury." Lloyd winced at the statement, knowing there was no helping it. He felt as weak as a baby, completely at the mercy of others. This was so humiliating… "Until then bear with it."

Looking away, the teen grimaced, having to swallow his pride more than he ever wanted to. Silence stayed for a moment or two before he finally voiced his questions. "What happened?"

"Hm?"

Looking back to him almost imploringly, Lloyd asked what he should have earlier. Fear entered his heart a little and he didn't like it. "What made Yiggi-still so mad that he…"

"Yggdrasil." Kratos adjusted his position, leaning forward to answer him after a moment's thought. "Your friends escaped."

Everything seemed to stop inside him. "What?"

"All of them. Including the Chosen."

"WHAT?!" Overly excited, Lloyd tried to get up, only for his body to cry out in pain, forcing him back down. Kratos placed a hand on his chest firmly, keeping him down so he could recover. It took a minute or two, but the teen caught back his breath and started asking questions. "How? I didn't-"

"According to the reports," he gestured to some flat device nearby with words on it, "Renegades, a group opposing Cruxis, infiltrated Welgaia, made their way to where the Chosen was being prepared for the mana transfer, and slipped her away. They picked up your friends and a few other captives for good measure, making a distraction Lord Yggdrasil could not ignore. Their main objective though seemed to be extracting your friends. As I was in Hima taking care of loose ends, I didn't know about it until after the fact."

Renegades? Who were they? Well, at the moment that didn't really matter much. All that mattered was they saved his friends from Cruxis and Yiggi-yellow-man. They were safe. The thought sunk in for a minute, but was then doubt crept in, stabbing at his heart.

"But why wasn't I-" Why was Lloyd still there? Did they…

"You're in one of the most secure places in Welgaia," Kratos reminded him. "The Chosen was in another. I doubt the Renegades had time to infiltrate two high security areas with any success. Likely they only had enough information to retrieve the Chosen and those in the prisons. It was nigh impossible for them to retrieve you on such short notice."

"Short notice?" He blinked at the idea, but Kratos explained it away easily.

"There were no plans for you to be here until three days ago. You were only here little over a day when the Renegades arrived. It's likely they didn't know you were here."

Lloyd's heart sank at the thought of being left behind. Didn't they even try to find him? "But… my friends-"

"Were whisked away so quickly they couldn't search for you either." He looked back over to that strange thing to the side. "It's all in the report. I would let you read it if you knew how."

"I can read," Lloyd stubbornly stated, trying to look impressive in his weakened state. He looked more like a pouting child.

"Not this language. I've seen you try." That set his thoughts reeling again, eventually reaching the conclusion that it was written in Angelic. Yeah, he couldn't read it to save his life. Still the angel watched him, almost reassuring him. "Your friends did not abandon you Lloyd. They simply could not retrieve you while escaping Cruxis. Would you risk their safety in a futile attempt to save yours?"

The teen had to think about it for a moment before relenting. "No. They got Colette out of here. And they're safe. That's all that matters. Yig-"

"Yggdrasil." Kratos' voice held some annoyance at his many failed attempts of naming his boss.

"Yeah, blondie white suit. He lost. He can't use Colette anymore." Lloyd relaxed into the bed with a heavy sigh. "So long as she's free, I don't care what happens."

"Hmmm."

Something about the angel's 'hmmm' didn't settle right with him, but it was really hard to say anything more. His eyes were feeling heavy again. Yawning, the teen barely managed to hear the man say something about Ava waking him in an hour to eat. As he lost consciousness, he heard the man speak again, but it felt more like a dream than real.

"I certainly hope your opinions change soon Lloyd. Apathy doesn't suit you."

* * *

><p>AN: another bit of potty humor, but I wanted to have a little fun with the kid who barely learned about the toilet a few days ago. I know Lloyd should be in a medical bed with IVs if he sleeps that long, but magic is my answer to how he's recovering in that environment. More on his recovery soon enough. Kratos is going to be more mysterious soon. Ooooo...

Anyone else catching the running joke? Not the bathroom one but... well you get it. tel me what you think. This guy needs more love, along with another short I did a bit ago. =P


	7. 7 – The Lab and Readings

It's been a long time in the works, but I've finally finished this chapter! It's long but it's done! *diez* Been through a lot lately but it's worth it. End part seems to ramble but it should point out what Kratos' plans are for the exsphere. Anywho, enjoy! Sorry for the length.

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><p><em>7 – The Lab and Readings<em>

Recovery was slow, and annoyingly tedious. At least to Lloyd it was. Kratos was serious when he said he was stuck in bed for at least a week. The only times he was allowed to be upright (or even able to really) was when Ava or Kratos helped him to the toilet and sink. Lloyd stayed in bed pretty much the rest of the time, laying down or propped against the wall. It wasn't that bad when all he could do was sleep and eat, but by the end of the week (he assumed), sleep was less on his mind and boredom was taking control.

Goddess this place was boring.

"Oi." For about the millionth time the teen tried starting a conversation with the angel lady Ava. She was gathering the dishes from his latest meal (soup, rolls, and cheese, plus an apple for good behavior), as silent and polite as ever. "Isn't there anything else I can do? This is super boring."

"Have you finished the book Lord Kratos gave you?"

Guiltily the lad looked away. All he had was that book he was given prior to that crazy beating by Yig-so-blond-ill to keep him company lately. Kratos came by every day(?) to see how he was doing, but he didn't stay long. He stopped answering questions too, instead asking how the teen's healing was coming along. The last question he answered was where he went that day his boss attacked him.

"Hima." The angel's short explanation set aside another worry he didn't even realize he had. "Your group left a few things behind, including Noishe. I sent him back to Dirk's with your packs."

Thinking back to that, Lloyd couldn't object to what he did. At least his oldest friend was going to be alright. It was becoming rather plain to see the man thought pretty far ahead.

For some reason though, Kratos also asked if he finished the book yet. Why did they want him to read it so badly? "Not yet…"

"Then I advise you read it. Your head is no longer damaged. Use this time to learn."

Rolling his eyes, Lloyd almost growled to himself. "What's the use of reading about summon spirits anyway? I'm just gonna be stuck here for the rest of my life right? School's wasted on me."

"What is wasted is your breath if you continue to whine."

The criticism coming from the doorway only made him glare at the angel there. Marcus was anything but friendly, and he seemed to enjoy pointing out his flaws. He never entered the room either, as if the mere smell of human was offensive to him. What was this guy's problem anyway? Wacko.

He was about to retaliate when Ava cut them off. "If that is what you believe then it will be so. Lord Kratos still wishes for you to finish the book. I advise you do so on your own before one of us chooses to read it to you."

"Would that really be so bad?" Lloyd pretended to pout but it went nowhere. Angels did not respond to pouting. Instead they left in a huff, isolating him to the room once again. Glaring slightly, the lad sighed. "I guess so."

Grimly, the teen picked up the book from the edge of the bed, finding the place he left off without too many problems. He finished reading about Sylph (which turned out to be three summon spirits lumped into one seal) the other day and got a good idea what the Balacruf Dynasty was really like, but next was Shadow, and the picture he saw of the guy gave him chills. Flipping ahead, he could see stories on Luna and Aska, then Maxwell, Vertis, and lastly Origin, king of the summon spirits. Maxwell looked like a loon and the majority of the others looked pretty cool, but Origin, just looking at the pictures, looked cruel and powerful. How did he function with four arms anyway? All the stories after Shadow looked a lot more interesting, and he normally would have ignored it if Kratos wasn't the one telling him to read it. What was so important about this book?

Sighing to himself, Lloyd pushed through the Shadow chapters, getting really confused when it came to his resting form. Who in their right mind would split themselves into five parts? Summon spirits sure were weird. He could hardly understand why Aska moved around while Luna stayed put either, though he knew that story was true. He talked to too many people on their journey to not know how those two seemed to function. But still, if they were such good friends, why didn't Aska take Luna with him?

The thought drove a spike into his chest; his friends had managed to escape, but didn't take him with them. Logically, the teen knew he couldn't blame them, and outwardly he didn't, but he couldn't deny that it still hurt that they didn't save him. He wouldn't have left them behind if he was given a chance to leave. He'd do everything he could to save them, even if he would fail.

But they weren't him. They weren't even in a place they recognized. Someone else saved them. They didn't have time to break him out. He was in a 'super secure' prison cell with angelic guards who worked under Kratos for Pete's sake! And that wasn't even taking Yiggers into account. They didn't stand a chance, and he knew it.

Still, it hurt. He was Luna and they were Aska. While they flew around the worlds, he was locked away in a tower, waiting. Dying slowly was more like it. "Bet Luna hates waiting for him all the time."

"She never seems to complain."

Lloyd jumped in surprise at Kratos' voice (why hadn't he noticed him enter the room?!), then hissed in pain from the sudden movement. Everything seemed to be healing alright overall, but everything still hurt. The older swordsman raised an eyebrow at him, as if he was surprised and disappointed that he didn't sense the angel's presence. "Geeze Kratos! Do you ever knock?!"

The annoyed look on the man's face was enough to know he wasn't getting an answer this time either. Instead, he strode over to the bed and picked the book out of Lloyd's hands, eyeing the page he was on. An eyebrow raised again. "You're only this far?"

"I've been resting." As fast as he could, the teen reached up and snatched the book back. Kratos didn't stop him, but did watch the boy with some disappointment. "I've never been so tired in my life!"

"This book was an overnight assignment when I was fourteen. And that was after intensive sword training."

Blood rushed to Lloyd's face, from both embarrassment and anger. "So what! Not everyone's got big heads like yours. My brain just doesn't work the way yours or Genis or Professor Sage's does. I'm better with crafts."

"Or you're not applying yourself to anything outside your personal interests." He shook his head and took the book away once more.

"Hey! I was reading that!"

"You'll finish it after you're cleaned up and have an examination. On your feet." Kratos put a piece of paper between the pages and set the book at the bottom of the bed. Lloyd glared up to him from his position on the bed (barely propped up), refusing to move. The man above gave him a glare along with an ultimatum. "You either walk to the showers or I carry you like an ill-behaved child and scrub you down like an animal."

"You wouldn't." Dread started in the boy's stomach. There was no way stoic Kratos would ever carry him to any kind of bath and-

The seraph gave him a cold glare. "How do you think you got in here?"

That was all the warning Lloyd needed before he pulled the blankets on top of him off and started scooting off the bed. Any time he moved his torso it hurt, but the rest of him was stiff and needed to move so badly it hurt. Swinging his bare feet to the cold ground hurt a bit, but he managed to keep his winces to a minimum. His jailer watched him push himself to his feet gingerly, saying nothing and offering no help until the teen nearly stumbled into him. Strong hands kept him upright and gave him time to breathe and stretch before releasing him. Their eyes met, and Lloyd gave him the best determined look he could while in pain. He was not going to let this stop him.

Kratos met his gaze stolidly for a moment, then nodded. "Your healing is coming along smoothly."

"Ya think?" Even if all he did was get to his feet, the teen felt drained. It took a lot more effort to do that than he liked. Had he really become so dependent on his exsphere? Lloyd hated feeling weak.

"Can you walk on your own?" It was a simple inquiry, but as always, the teen took it as a challenge.

"Watch me." Slowly Lloyd pushed pass the angel and towards the sink. Every step hurt, but his legs were gaining strength with each one. It was just his stomach and back that protested loudly as he went. He was almost to the sink when a dizzy spell started to take over him, pitching forward slightly. Seconds before he could black out, Kratos caught him and kept him on his feet. "Uuhg…"

"Easy… not quite there yet."

"Why is it taking so damn long?!" It came out as a whine more than a shout, but the message was clear. "It never took this long before."

"Exsphere's increase healing and endurance Lloyd," he was reminded. "Don't expect quick healing here. You're taking the long way from now on."

"The long way sucks."

"Learn patience Lloyd." Helping him stand for a minute or two on his own, Kratos nodded to himself and looked towards the door. Marcus stood there with something in his hand, and when his superior nodded, he came in bringing it to him. "Put your hands behind your back."

"Why?" Curious, the teen tried to analyze what they were passing between them. They looked like shackles bound together with steel rods, but there was something weird about the metal. "What are those for?"

"Lord Yggdrasil has ordered for you and all future prisoners to wear these while in transition between their cells and other destinations." Finally some answers, but not the kind Lloyd liked. "He wanted to add chains and leg cuffs, so be glad it is just these. Hands behind your back."

Glaring slightly, he did as he was told and soon felt the cool metal of the cuffs around his wrists. The sleeves of his shirt only ran interference partway down the device, so he couldn't say it was comfortable. Annoyed his movements would be limited for his first time leaving this cell, the teen put on his best disgruntled face when the men came near his face. Both seemed satisfied. "Good. Let's get going."

Kratos took one of his arms and both supported and guided him out of the room. The lighting was much brighter than in the room, making Lloyd wince in pain for a moment and for tears to form in his eyes. One or two escaped him, but soon enough is vision cleared, allowing him to see just where his cell was.

The room outside his own reminded him of the dream he had waking up the first day. There were glowing panels and buttons (compooters) all over the place, a large table with glowing lights under its glass top, small sets of stairs that led nowhere, and walls were either the same metal of his cell or glass. There were only a handful of angels there, but they were all wearing long white coats instead of robes. None of them had weapons, but none of them had a smile or a frown on their faces either. They were like how he last saw Colette, expressionless.

Lloyd looked behind him to see Ava and Marcus, wondering why they were so different for a moment. Looking back he saw that he came through a hallway while he was blinded, and two angels with swords were blocking the way, along with a new door. Ava and Marcus were following close behind he and Kratos, and fell into the same look as all the other angels there. The only difference between them and the rest was the small spark of determination in their faces, like Kratos. Something was really different about these three compared to the rest. What was-

"Eyes forward Lloyd." Kratos' voice made him jerk his head back around so he didn't trip over his own two feet. Curiosity was giving him energy he didn't know he had, and he was determined to use it.

A minute or so later they met up with two more guard angels blocking the way out of the weird… lab? Was that the right word? Words… no orders were said in Angelic to them and they stepped aside, allowing the group to pass. Lloyd tried to remember what was said, but it was too fast and confusing to grasp on to. Sighing, he let himself be marched out of the room and into another shiny metal hallway.

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><p>The 'shower' was an adventure in and of itself, one Lloyd wasn't sure he wanted to repeat but knowing the seraph ordering him around, he would. Kratos explained how water would rain down from these pipes above and that the one he was using was usually for a lot of people at once, but it was the only one available to them at that time. It didn't quite prepare him from the hot storm raining on his sore body.<p>

Once he was used to the torrents of water, the experience wasn't that bad. It was seeing first hand all his bruises that took him for a real spin. The big angel-man who beat the crap out of him left some mighty fine marks on him, explaining why his torso and back hurt so much. He didn't realize he had bruises on his legs and arms though, or near his privates, but they were so slight he could hardly feel them.

Thankfully, his marks were losing their blue tint and turning green and yellow quickly. Kratos and Ava's magic and medicine must have taken care of most of the job already. Long way indeed. By his estimates, Lloyd would be fit enough to fight back in a few days or so. If he ever got past his exhaustion that was. The shower had somehow soothed his muscles and lulled him into a somewhat content, sleepy state. He didn't object for a second when his jailers put those cuffs back on him and started leading him back to the lad.

And there he was now, trying not to fall asleep while floating over the weirdly colored and lit table beneath him while angels seemed to swarm around him. This was just weird, and yet he found floating rather comfortable. If only there weren't so many bright moving lights…

Slowly he could feel his body descend back to the table, making him look around in confusion. Curiosity always got his blood flowing. One dead-eyed angel in green was tapping away at some tablet nearby, talking to Kratos rapidly in Angelic. Lloyd glared at them as he got up, annoyed they wouldn't say anything he could understand. Not like he'd get what they were talking about anyway, but it was rude talking in a language no one else knew.

Whatever he was saying, the superior angel nodded, seemingly pleased by whatever results they had gotten from their weird lightshow. The teen pushed himself up into a sitting position as soon as he landed on the table, biting back his pain the entire way. As soon as he was level with them, he started talking. "What the hell was that all about?"

"Nonintrusive medical exam."

Lloyd blinked. "Huh?"

Sighing, Kratos elaborated, taking the tablet and shooing the angel off. "This is merely a medical scan to see what condition your body is in. This method prevents exposure to the elements and from aggravating all current situations. Other scans include brainwaves, mana output, hormone secretion, and stress levels. With the results, we can adjust your medical treatments and predict when you will be fully healed."

"Not quite getting it," the teen admitted, getting a slightly despairing look from the man. "But, if you wanted to know how I was holding up, couldn't you have just asked?"

Somehow recovered from whatever was eating him, the seraph explained. "In some cases that is best, but as Lord Yggdrasil's attacks struck many internal organs and a few bones, asking alone cannot tell us how you are coming along. It is easy to ignore one pain over another, and some damage may complicate matters in the future. The scans tell us what you cannot know."

"Okay…" Shrugging, the teen decided to let it go. It's not like he could explain it simply like the showers or toilet earlier. Those were mechanical, something he'd grown up with. This was medical and some weird magitechnology. Totally out of his comfort zone.

"What now? Back to the cell?" As much as Lloyd wanted to run out of there and explore, he didn't have the energy to even try. Suddenly that book looked really good to the junior swordsman. "Or am I gonna be thrown around like a rag doll again?"

Kratos' eyes turned cold for a moment, then he looked to another part of the lab. "Not yet. Slide off and get into that chair over there."

He pointed to a chair on one of the upper levels of the lab, one with another 'compooter' attached to it. The chair had armrests but that was all that looked different to him. Lloyd just shrugged, past the point of caring right then. At least he was able to walk around without cuffs this time. Those things were really weird; as far as he could tell, they didn't have locks, yet opened and closed effortlessly. A lot of things there just didn't make sense. Was this all magitechnology? Why did angels need so much of it? Weren't they all-knowing, all-powerful beings who could do anything they wanted? So far they only acted like winged, expressionless Desians who worked in labs, like those guys he saw briefly at Kvar's ranch. Thus far, angels were nothing like he was told growing up.

Carefully he slid off the table and made his way to the chair, closely followed by the seraph. Looking back a little, the teen grumbled to himself. '_So no cuffs mean having a guard. Just peachy._' Sighing, he sat in the chair, looking at Kratos boredly. "Now what?"

"Put your arm with the crests and exsphere on the table." As he spoke, another angel, squat with greying hair, came over to the work station, seating himself on the other side of the desk. Shrugging, Lloyd did so, and within seconds the angel grabbed his hand.

"HEY!"

"Relax." The order did not calm the lad down for a second, turning his fierce glare on the mercenary and back to the angel with the vice grip on his wrist. "It'll go faster if you-"

"I don't want faster! I want my arm back!" Tugging away and getting to his feet, the duel swordsman fought to get free. It wasn't working. The greying angel kept his hand in one place, using one hand to press buttons just out of his sight. "LET GO!"

"Lloyd-"

"Let go of my hand you crazy hand stealer!" How did anyone have this kind of grip? Nothing he tried got the guy to let go. "Give it back! You can't have it!"

"Lloyd, he's not-"

"You can't chop it off and keep it in your collection! It's mine!"

"Knock it off." A hard/soft(?) knock on Lloyd's head got his attention away from the feathery angel to the purple/white/blue one, who was more than a little annoyed with him. "You're overreacting."

"Overreacting?!" His other hand was trying its hardest to pry the angel's grip off. He was about to put his feet on the desk to add strength to his pulling. "It isn't your hand on the line!"

"Neither is yours." Kratos pointed to the angel who seemed to be done pressing buttons. Another set of glowing lights and circles surrounded his hand, swirling every which way. Symbols he didn't recognize floated alongside it, changing every few seconds. A large glowing circle surrounded then clamped around his wrist, keeping it still while the angel let go to press buttons again.

"What the…"

"It's another scan Lloyd." The seraph's voice cut through his complete confusion and stopping all his struggling. "We need to check on the exsphere's progress and ensure the crests are doing their jobs. Short of removing them and analyzing them individually, this is the best method for doing so.

"Stop struggling and sit down. You're only making a fool of yourself."

Stunned by the revelation, Lloyd started turning colors, mostly shades of red. How was he supposed to know what was going on anyway? Kratos only started explaining things after they started. Between the cryptic angel and all the craziness around him, the teen had every right to freak out when somebody grabbed his hand. His hand could be taken off at any moment and he wouldn't have a way to stop it. Honestly, it was a miracle he hadn't freaked out until then.

Reluctantly, the teen sat down and let the new angel use his weird tech to analyze his hand, the crests, and the exsphere that was turning into more trouble than it was worth. The glowing lights around them didn't make a hint of sense but he doubted he'd understand what it meant even if he could read the blasted things. Just one of his many failings as a student and as a hero.

Soon enough the test was done and the lights were gone. His hand was finally returned to his side, just in time for those annoying cuffs to come back. Glaring at them for a moment, he decided to voice some concerns. "So… where are the keyholes on these things?"

"There isn't one."

"Huh?"

Kratos didn't pin his arms behind him this time, instead showing him the shackles as he put them on in front. "These are magitechnology, made of a similar ore to the locks on the seals' ruins. In order to open them, you need a cruxis crystal. Same with all the other locks within Welgaia. You can't leave Derris Kharlan without help Lloyd."

The teen glared at the man as his hopes of escape continued to plummet. "You people really suck you know."

"I am well aware of that. Hurry up." The man firmly took his arm and led him back towards the part of the lab leading to his room. Marcus joined them a second later, a hand on his sword. As they twisted through the hallway back to his cell, Lloyd saw Ava leave one room with a bundle of sheets. Looked like she too advantage of an empty room but it hardly mattered. He was getting tired again after that outburst and really didn't want to be up anymore. His back still hurt. "You can rest in a minute."

"Fuuunnn…" The lad missed the side long look his captor gave him before entering the cell, but he was grateful that he got him to the bed safely. Safely being the key word because the floor was suddenly crowded with books. Evil things. Kratos took off the cuffs as soon as he was on the bed, letting him rub his wrists to get them comfortable. At least until Kratos shoved that book back into his hands. "What's the deal?!"

"Finish this. Then I want you reading this one." He picked up a thick, old book next and set it on the corner of the bed. Just the sight of it tightened Lloyd's insides in dread. Read that? "You'll start working on the others soon after."

"You've got to be kidding!" He tried to leap to his feet and fight back, but the angel was far too close for that to work, not to mention the jolt to his back. Instead he toppled backwards back onto the bed. So not cool.

"Have you ever known me to 'kid'?" For some reason the guy didn't point out his obvious mess of hands and feet, but he still insisted on the reading. "Eventually you will be reading every book here, and then some."

"That'll take forever!" Lloyd's insides leapt and started to itself in knots, the idea of all that studying putting him in a panic. There was no way he could do this!

"That depends on you." That annoyed teaching look he gave him all the time during training came back in full. "I expect this done before I see you next."

"But-"

"No excuses." Kratos finally took a step back, headed towards the door. "You've had a week, and even accounting your injuries, it should not take that long to read such a simple book. I know you're smarter than you act. It's time to prove it. Finish this book, and get to work on the next."

Speechless, Lloyd just gaped at the man walking away. How could he even think he could… this… this was torture! Now he really wished he was in one of those Desian ranches. He would never be able to meet this man's expectations.

The door swished shut as he stared after a swallow tailed cape disappearing. "You… jerk…"

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><p>AN: yeah, so Lloyd's going to be studying his heart out! Kratos is going to make sure he gets the education that he should have had, whether he likes it or not. Learning though doesn't come easy to him, and every student knows how stressful classes are. You want stressed out teenagers? throw them in school! XD There will be another kind of stress for him to build up soon, but that'll be later. Kratos after all is a soldier first.

I was going to have a huge sequence where Lloyd met showers, but I felt it was getting way too long. Ick. So instead I had Lloyd freaking out at the weird scans. He did notice that something was different between kratos and Co vs all the other angels. I will be explaining that later, but just know that this has a lot of explanations and action comes a lot later. The plot here is mostly watching Lloyd grow up adn learn the truth in a different way, plus a little bonding/stockholm syndrome.

As for myself, I have been having drama with school (stress!), work (quit), and moved! It's been a stressful few weeks, and I have several other stories to work on. I'll work on chapter 8 as soon as I can.


	8. 8 – Reading Problems

W00T! Another chapter! I'm finding frustration at my new place makes me write a lot more here. Ah well. Shorter chapter and the recovery is almost done. I just wanted to throw out a theory I have about Lloyd, and a solution to make things more interesting later. Enjoy!

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><p><em>8 – Reading Problems<em>

Life sucked.

That's all Lloyd could think of as he stared at the page in front of him. Life sucked and it was all Kratos' fault. That or his boss Yiggy-so-ill. Life sucked.

Course, reading, or attempting to read, this monster of a book was the worst part of it. Yeah he finished the so-called 'child's book' about summon spirits, but he did not have a chance of getting this one right any time soon. The words were longer than he was used to, and the print was so small and pushed together that they made no sense. He couldn't count how many times he lost his place in that one page alone! He still hadn't turned a page when Kratos returned two days later. And he was not pleased.

"You're only on the first page?"

Lloyd glared back at his exasperated face, clenching and unclenching his fists. He could walk around on his own now, but he didn't have enough confidence that he could knock him flat any time soon. "What did you expect?! That I finished it in only two days?!"

"Just the first chapter."

"I'm NOT GENIS!" He leapt to his feet without swaying and shoved the book into the seraph's hands. "If you want it read, do it yourself!"

In a huff, the teen marched to the other side of the room, completely ignoring the stunned look on the man's face. There was no way an idiot like him could ever understand what that book was saying, let alone all the others there. This was just shoving in his face how stupid he was. Nothing there would ever make sense to him.

"Are you really applying yourself Lloyd?" The doubt in the guy's voice was enough to rile him up all over again.

Lloyd snapped back around, glaring at the mercenary all his anger and frustration. "Of course I did! I always try! It just doesn't do any good! I'm an idiot and that's it!"

"An idiot can't name constellations." That stopped him for a moment. What? Kratos calmly placed the book back on the bed, thoughtful. "Idiots can't make it through basic sword training like you have. They are not capable of recognizing and fixing a keycrest. Idiots do not ask questions.

"You're not an idiot Lloyd." Those words from that man's mouth were enough to smother the anger inside him for the moment, replacing it with something like disbelief and hope at the same time. It was hard for him to put a name on it, and even harder to believe this was happening.

"I have met idiots, a lot of them. They do not question, they cannot handle complicated tasks, and their interests in the stars stop at wondering if they'll be there the next night." He sat down on the edge of the bed, still thinking as he spoke. "Anyone who said you were an idiot was either frustrated or is one themselves.

"Now," he tapped the cover of the book, "explain to me why you find this book difficult to read."

Lloyd's heart, once it was calmed, suddenly leapt back into panic mode. '_Oh boy…_' "Um… it's just… really big words. You know. Like… Cho-ron-ic-ly-"

"Chronologically?"

"Yeah that. And there's a lot of them." He was starting to sweat, his stomach twisting as he looked around the room. The door was closed. '_Dammit! No escape!_' "I can't possibly get any of that."

"I see…" Kratos opened the book to the page he was on, looking it over. "There are a lot of large words not used in every day conversation used here, but there isn't a more accurate archive than this series."

"So?" Maybe he could get out of reading it. "I can't understand it. What's the use of me trying to-"

"That's what a dictionary is for." The mercenary left the bed to look around the room's stacks of books. "I'm certain there's one in here somewhere. You are familiar with dictionaries, right?"

"Tha… That's not the point!" Things were just getting worse. "Dictionaries are just as bad! Lots of-"

"So it isn't just the length of the word that unnerves you." Lloyd froze while Kratos seemed to be thinking out loud. "If there is a lot of words close together, they start confusing you?"

"N… it's not like that!"

"Do the letters reorder themselves before your eyes?"

The teen turned into stone, his stomach heavier as something he tried to tell people when he was little was said at last by someone else. They all said he was telling stories, so he stopped talking about it. Shame faced, he looked at the ground. "Ye-no! That's… That's crazy talk!"

"Denying it won't make the problem go away." The mercenary folded his arms, watching him. "Let me guess. When you're reading, letters get mixed around. The longer the word and the closer together the sentences are, the worse it gets. The letters sometimes appear to be backwards. You know it isn't right because you learned your letters properly, but you can't see it that way, no matter how hard you try. Am I right?"

Knowing there was no denying it now, Lloyd nodded his head. A little scared, he looked up at the soldier. "Am I cursed?"

"No, just dyslexic." Kratos said it so simply it made him blink. Huh?

"Dyslexic?"

"It's a learning disability. A fairly common one at that. One moment." Not waiting for a reaction, he walked over to the door and placed his hand on the panel. He leaned out for a second, getting Marcus' attention. "Fetch a couple bookmarks, some parchment, and charcoal sticks."

"Yes sir." Just as quickly as the door was opened, it was closed again, confusing the prisoner more than he was before. Huh?

"What was-"

"It appears your lessons are going to start earlier than I thought they would." The man turned back to him, stoic as ever. "Dyslexia can interfere with your progress if you do not learn how to overcome it early. Our first goal is mastering it."

"What are you talking about? Lessons?" Confusion took over all his features, and that did not bode well for the constantly failing student. "You're gonna-"

"Going to. And yes, I will be teaching you. That is, whenever self-study is impossible." Spotting something, Kratos leaned down to a pile of books and started moving them around. "There is much that needs to be done, and I believe, not a lot of time to do it in. Ironic really."

"Huh?" The guy was thinking to himself again, going off on something he did not understand for a moment, only because he was not in Kratos' head. "What are you-"

"In time. There is a great deal you need to learn first." He came up straight, lifting what was clearly a big, heavy dictionary. Just the sight of it started turning his stomach. Was he going to read all of that too? "Considering the nature of trust and sources, it is best you learn as much as you can from these instead of myself."

Lloyd watched him for a moment in confusion as it sunk in. There was something Kratos wanted him to know, but since his betrayal at the tower, there was no way he'd believe everything he said. Why should he? Kratos lied to them the entire time! He was working for Cruxis in order to sacrifice Colette! He was leading them to their deaths! He even…

'_Wait… he… didn't kill us._' Now the duel swordsman was getting very confused. He had suggested that only he and Colette go to the tower and the rest stay behind. And he told them several times to just walk away. He would have let them go if they just left, but they didn't. When he had the chance to kill Lloyd directly, he couldn't. Then his blond bossman appeared and… '_He stopped Yiggy from killing me. Me and the others. He saved me from that guy twice! Whose side is he really on?_' Things were just getting more and more confusing.

"Okay… I think I get it."

"Good. Right now we'll focus on making reading easier." The mercenary walked over to the bed, inclining his head towards it so he would follow. Slowly the teen did. "Dyslexia can be quite troublesome, but with practice you can manage it."

"What in Sylverant are you even talking about?" Dyslexia? That sounded like a disease! But this guy just went on as if it was nothing more than freckles on a kid's arm. "What's dyslexia? How do I have it?"

Stopping, Kratos seemed to realize at long last that he jumped ahead of the class. "Ah. That's right. With the worlds' decline, small things like learning disabilities were forgotten. Considering not everyone in the declining world learns to read…"

Sighing lightly, he turned to him and spoke frankly, like he would when he was teaching a particular point. "A learning disability is something people are often born with that makes certain tasks difficult to learn. Communication, verbal or visual, are usually the ones affected, but there are others out there. It just means your brain works differently than others. You're not cursed and you're not stupid.

"Dyslexia is one that makes reading difficult for some people. There are several varieties and particulars, but for now we'll focus on reading." He stopped for a moment, realizing something. "Is math also-"

"Horrible." Relief started to come back to him as he explained the 'disability' he seemed to have. So he wasn't cursed or crazy this entire time, just dyslexic. Proves that teachers didn't know everything.

"Hm. We'll have to figure out how to reteach you that later." Kratos flipped through the dictionary for a moment before settling on one page. "There are tricks that can help you read better. Once you have the basics down, I'm certain you will become skilled quite quickly."

"You think so?" The last time anyone said something like that, it was when he was making things with Dirk. Being reminded of his dad made his chest feel tight all over again, especially when Kratos answered him.

"I know it."

Lloyd had to take a breath to stop himself from getting teary eyed, but he looked away anyway. He was this guy's captive. He shouldn't be getting happy because of what he said. He should… why was everything just getting more and more confusing?

"Now, Lloyd, read this." The seraph handed him the dictionary, pointing to one particular definition. The word was clear as a bell to him, but the paragraph underneath it was a bit of a mess. "Focus on only one word at a time. Read it out loud. And take your time. It is better to understand what is said than rattle it off quickly."

"Alright." Looking at the word, he became confused. "Die-slex-I-ah?"

"Dyslexia. It… isn't a very easy word to sound out." He pointed out the enunciation underneath it, then told him to keep going. They could hear the door open again, and Kratos left him to reading it as he gathered what his underling acquired.

"A dev-el-op-metal…develop_mental_ dis…order which can cause learn-ing… diff-ih-cul-ty… in one or more… areas of read-ing, write-ing, and noom-er-acy."

"Very good." The angel came back to him, smiling slightly. Lloyd couldn't help the smile that lit up his face. No one said that to him when he bungled up reading in a long time. They usually just sighed and gave up. After all, he was an idiot. But Kratos didn't think so.

"Now sit down and I'll show you how to make it easier to read." Eager to learn, the teen bounded to the bed's edge and did as he was told. For once he was getting somewhere, and he wanted to learn more immediately.

* * *

><p>"I think that's enough for today." Kratos stretched his arms before getting off the bed where the two of them were studying for the past two hours at least. Lloyd's eyes were getting a little tired from looking at the page for so long, but he wasn't really ready to call it quits. With Kratos' trick of putting one bookmark above and another below the line he was trying to read, he got through three pages of that large history book! And honestly, it was a little interesting. What was Aselia? And what were these other lands he never heard of before? Tethe'alla and Sylverant were among them, but Inferia? Karegia? Regnum? He never heard of those!<p>

"But-"

"You should take a break, walk around, eat something, then get back to work. You've made a lot of progress, but there is still a lot to learn." Stretching a little more, the mercenary mumbled another reason. "I have other duties to perform."

Pouting slightly (for reasons he couldn't quite understand) Lloyd nodded, setting the book aside. A thought struck him as he got up to stretch himself – he realized he was very stiff after he started moving. "Hey Kratos? How did you know about… you know… dyslexia? How did you know how to teach me how to read?"

For a moment the swordsman was silent, then looked away with a contemplative frown. It reminded the teen of how he acted when- "My sister Kira was dyslexic."

"Sister?" Stunned, all Lloyd could think was, '_He has a sister too?!_'

Katos nodded, but didn't smile. Just like when he spoke of his family that one time. Wait, were they even real? Well, the chain of that locket was barely visible to him so it was quite possible. But how did any family work with Cruxis? Was there a family part of Welgaia? But weren't they killed by-

"She died, a long time ago. Along with my mother, other two sisters and brother. I was twelve." The seasoned soldier looked off into the abyss sadly, though he didn't shed a tear. Still Lloyd felt his pain, much like when he started talking about his wife and son. This… this had to be real.

"How-"

"Casualties of war do not always include soldiers." He was starting to shut him out again, just like before. "You've seen that first hand with Luin."

"Is Sylverant at war?" The way the seraph spoke, it sounded like that was all he could see. That wasn't what Lloyd saw at all.

"In a way." Turning to the door, he gave his last instruction. "Now you know how to read a little better, I expect you to finish that chapter before I return. New studies will start shortly."

"What about your father?" Lloyd wasn't done interrogating him yet. He mentioned his mother, brother, and three sisters dying (plus his wife and child). He never said a word about his father. "Is he-"

"Died at the front when I was eight." Kratos tapped the sword at his side after touching the panel to open the door. "This is all I have of him. Barely even a memory."

Stunned for a moment, an idea struck him before the man could disappear. "Is that why you're doing this? Because I'm like you?"

The door shutting was all the answer he got. Great. More questions. Looking around him, Lloyd tried to shrug it off. At least now he could look up some kind of answer. "Alright then. Back to work. Weirdo."

* * *

><p>AN: Yeah, I have this theory that Lloyd is dyslexic and it wasn't identified so his school learning was stunted. I know there are a lot of different takes on it so I only specified some generic characteristics. I have at least three siblings who are dyslexic, and so is my dad. They read a lot and are really smart, but they have other skills that are amazing too. Lloyd has all of the classic signs in his behavior so I went with it. The trick I shared is one my dad told me about. He also said reading comic books helped too but I have no idea. not an expert.

And I gave Kratos more of a back story! In my headcannon, he was the oldest boy in his family, with at least one older sister and a baby brother. Since dyslexia is hereditary but not necessarily in a straight line, someone in his family would have to have it. Shortly after his family was killed (he was hunting at the time of the attack and got back too late) he was taken into the Tethe'alla army. Like I said before, this is my headcannon. Any other back story he may have, whether it's nobility or something else, doesn't matter. He earns his position later where he meets Mithos and the others. I'm not screwing with that part.

How are you liking it? hopefully I'll get another chapter up soon, which won't be about staying in that room. Anywho, happy thanksgiving! Even if you aren't an american, celebrate it. It's always good to give thanks (there are studies somewhere...), and it's great to have a huge meal with family that you can't feel guilty about. Until next time!


	9. 9 – Under City Revelations

I so need to sleep but I thought I should get what I've been working on instead of sleeping tonight up. I hope you like. More of the plot is coming out.

* * *

><p><em>9 – Under City Revelations<em>

Honestly, once Lloyd got reading, seriously reading and understanding what was on the page, he just didn't want to stop. It was only when the lights went out that he stopped, and even then his head was buzzing with what he was learning. He had so many questions from what he read, he didn't know where to stop. He actually stopped reading that one book to look at the others in the room to see if any of them had his answers.

In the end he found an atlas (something he didn't need help reading), an old one, and found each of the locations mentioned in the book as he went, flabbergasted. He'd seen maps of Sylverant before, but this was like nothing he'd ever seen. The world looked so much bigger than he remembered. And Sylverant was just one country on it. Same with Tethe'alla.

But Sheena said they were different worlds entirely. What was going on?

"My head hurts." Laying on the bed to look over all three books (the dictionary was always open), his head dropped into his hands. "I thought books were supposed to explain things, not make more questions."

Frustrated, Lloyd shifted his bookmarks once again to read the next line, talking about the exploration teams meeting with the dignitaries of all these far off lands he never heard of. Apparently all of these lands existed in the world known as Aselia. Tethe'alla and Sylverant were large countries with royalty and everything, and there were other, smaller countries all around the world. They were just finding each other in the book he was reading, making friendships and trade agreements. They were becoming friendly with dwarves and elves too, both with their own kingdoms. So far, everything was going alright. There were some violent cultures that were wiped out quickly, but since they were sacrificing people to barbaric sun gods, he didn't think it was really a bad thing. Gross…

He was nearly done with this chapter when the doors opened. Looking up, the teen honestly expected Ava coming in with lunch or something. Imagine his shock when Kratos came in with a set of handcuffs again. "Where have you been?!"

"Busy."

Lloyd scowled back at the man, annoyed beyond anything. It'd been nearly a week since he last saw him! He'd kept track of the days by putting one book on top of another in a certain pile as soon as the lights turned on every morning. Not like he had any other ways to keep time. From what he could guess, he'd been in that cell for almost a month. Maybe. It was really hard to be sure. "Busy doing what?"

"My job." The seraph walked over to the bed, looking over what he was doing. He could almost see the light of approval in his eyes as he looked over the set up. "Chapter two…"

"Nearly finished it." Proudly, the lad puffed out his chest. "Once I got used to it, reading really wasn't that hard."

"It's a beginning." The remark deflated Lloyd slightly, pouting at the lack of praise for all his hard work. The man ignored it and started giving orders. "Mark the pages and put everything aside. You'll want a clear bed later."

"Why?" He looked at the shackles in his captor's hand. "More testing?"

"Something like that. Hurry up." Glaring annoyance, the teen did as he was told, almost plopping his books on the floor. What was he going to be doing now? It wasn't like he could do anything in that cell except read, eat, and sleep. His curiosity got him to finish faster than he'd like, and he was standing in front of Kratos, bored. The soldier raised the cuffs. "Turn around. Lord Yggdrasil's rules still stand."

"Fun." It wasn't the first time he'd been handcuffed like that. When Kratos was gone, Marcus had cuffed him to and from the showers. And each time he was gone, Ava changed his bed sheets and straightened the room. Any time he left that room, he had his hands bound together behind him. And it stunk more than he did. Yet he did it, somewhat relieved this person put his sleeves between the metal and his wrists. Marcus wasn't so kind. "So where to?"

"You'll know in time." The mercenary firmly took one arm and led him out the door and down the metal hallway again. Marcus went before them, clearing a path with the other angels who were more like puppets than the ones he saw every day. They really gave him the creeps.

They passed the lab area quickly, and even the path leading to the showers. Then they stepped into an open place with glass walls and ceiling along with the metal floor. Blinking at the grand sight, Lloyd tried to figure out where he was. There were angels all over the place, sometimes gossiping but often flying to another part of the complex. Only a handful carried weapons, but all of them had that dead look in their eyes.

There was something seriously wrong about this place too. Something just didn't… feel right? Sound right? Something was missing. Something vital.

"Where-"

"Keep going."

Kratos' voice was low, almost a growl, but it was a tone he heard before. He used it once before at the Palmacosta Ranch to keep him from jumping out and rushing to Magnius' control room when other people's lives were at stake. Getting the hint, Lloyd kept his mouth shut. Didn't stop him from looking around.

Angels really were everywhere, just floating around and whispering to each other. Some were tapping at those panels he saw Kratos work on once, others were carrying supplies. Another was coming off his conveyer belt, confusing him. Why did a people who had wings need conveyer belts? Or stairs? '_Their wings get tired? Weir- OH MY GOD!_'

Looking straight up, his jaw dropped. Stars. Stars everywhere! The inky black sky was above him and he could see everything! The dragon, the bears, Aska, everything! It was amazing!

"Keep going Lloyd."

"Right…"

Kratos seemed to sigh beside him, but didn't stop him from looking up. They had a long discussion about watching the stars one night a few months back and it was something they both enjoyed. He wouldn't begrudge him for taking in the sight, would he?

Before he realized it, his guards came to a halt. Marcus was tapping on a panel for a moment, then stepped aside. Lloyd blinked for a moment in confusion, only for Kratos to tug him forward once again. He took him to a large plate that seemed to be floating over a large pot, and stopped while it moved. The lad's stomach lurched involuntarily at the sudden movement, not to mention the drop below him, only to stop with a bump against another platform. And on that one was one of those transport pads he'd seen in the Desian ranches and temples.

"What the-"

"Quiet."

Confused even more, by more thoughts than he normally had (why did the Desians have the same glowing pads as the temples? Wait, did Cruxis make the temples? Is that why the pads are in both places and here?), Lloyd didn't stop the man from pushing him onto the panel and be transported to another part of the place.

Shortly after landing, he was guided off and stopped. To his surprise, Kratos let out a long breath. "Finally. Hold still."

Within seconds the cuffs loosened and were removed, super shocking the kid. What was going on? Rubbing his wrists, Lloyd turned to the man, baffled. Was he letting him go? Kratos must have read his mind, answering him almost immediately. "Don't run. We're just under Welgaia, in the abandoned parts of the Tower of Salvation. There are over a thousand levels between us and the worlds. It would take you years to find a path out of here on your own. And that's if the monsters or security grid doesn't kill you first.

"You're unarmed, ill-equipped, and your exsphere is still disabled. Running now will only end in your death."

"Then why did you take me here?" Confusion was all he could make sense of in his head, and that only made his mind even more confused. "What's going on?"

"A lot. This way. And mind your feet. No one's cleaned up down here in at least a century." Kratos waved him down a ruined hallway, hardly looking back. Never liking being left behind, the teen scowled and followed after him. And as was his nature, started asking questions.

"Where are we?"

"I told you. We're in the Tower of Salvation. It isn't as well cared for as you'd like to believe." They turned a corner where part of a wall was leaning against another. The place was halfway ruins.

"Why are we here?"

"Because there's no camera's or listening devices down here." The man reached behind one stone and took out a strange metal container with more lights on it. What was that thing? "We can talk freely here."

"And why would we do that?" Things still weren't making sense. Lloyd already figured that something was going on behind the scenes he didn't know about with Kratos, but he hadn't quite figured out what.

"Because you have questions and I have answers. Catch." The swordsman seemed to reach into the weird metal pack and pull out a pair of boots, throwing them at the lad. He fumbled to catch it, but he did. The socks shortly after though hit his face. "Hmmm… we'll have to work on that."

"Work on what?!" Peeling the socks off his head, he glared at the man in earnest, completely confused. "What are we doing here?! Why are you throwing things at me?! And where did they come from?!"

"Put them on and I'll explain." Kratos had a pair of fingerless gloves waiting for him next, but hadn't thrown them yet. Not wanting to not catch those, Lloyd found a low rock to sit on and pulled on the socks, securing them in place with the boots. They fit perfectly. The man handed him the gloves as he started talking again. "This is a wingpack. It can contain a finite amount of items, but in a much more compact space. I have seen large machines and a year's worth of food put into these and then retrieved. It's magitechnology, and it takes up very little mana."

"Cool." Like an eager child, Lloyd took the pack and started poking at it. "How does it work? What's it made out of? Can anyone make it? Where did it come from?"

"All in due time." The seraph took it back, reaching back in for something else. "Other things are more important right now. We only have a few hours before you must be back in your cell."

"Why?"

Sighing, he tried to explain. Lloyd's boundless curiosity always made it hard for his teachers to finish lecturing on one subject over another. "If you're not back in there tonight, Yggdrasil will know something is going on he won't like.

"Lloyd, there is a very good reason you are here." Kratos looked straight into his eyes, firm and determined like the teacher he knew not that long ago. There was an added conviction in his eyes that wasn't there before. It calmed down his frustration for a moment, long enough to listen at least. "As you are right now, you don't have a chance against Yggdrasil."

"Huh?"

"Think for a moment about the fight you had against him," he went on. "One wave of his hand and you were nearly killed. He doesn't spare anyone, doesn't allow for retreat. I think it's clear by now I don't want you dead Lloyd. You or your friends." His hand shook as he gripped the sword at his side. "And I despise the Chosen system and the human ranches."

"Then why did you-"

"My position in Cruxis is necessary." He looked away, not wanting to explain why it was, just that it was. "In order to keep my status and keep eyes off of me, I need to do as Lord Yggdrasil commands.

"At this moment there is no one who can defeat him."

The weight of that statement hit Lloyd like a ton of bricks. The entire lecture was a revelation to him. Kratos… really was on his side? Not Yiggy-sil? A knot in his chest unraveled itself, reigniting the trust he once had in this man. But there was also fear. His boss was a big problem.

"What I am offering you Lloyd is a chance to do so."

Another shock ran through him. Blood left his face at the memory of that guy as he stuttered, "Wh…what?"

Taking in a breath, Kratos took out two swords on a belt set from the wingpack. "I'm saying the reason we're here is so I can train you to defeat Yggdrasil."

"What are you talking about?!" On his feet, Lloyd started to panic. "I don't have a prayer against that guy! Maybe if my exsphere was working, but last time he-"

"Completely defeated you and your comrades with a flick of his hand, I know." No humor came from the man offering the swords to him. "I was there."

"Then you know I can't-"

"Lloyd, you passed entry training for Tethe'allan army recruits, making you cleared for the front, within four months. From an instructor who uses a different attack and defense pattern. It took me a year to get to that level." That stopped Lloyd for a second. What? "Under the regiment I served, that would qualify you for officer training. Your motor functions and quick thinking make it easier for you to pick up sword techniques and adapt them to suit our needs. Exspheres don't improve your learning abilities, only expand your physical abilities. That was all you.

"The day you can defeat me in combat, without the help of your exsphere, is the day I will take the seal crest off of you." He eyed the crest on the lad's hand sternly for a moment before continuing. "Relying on that during training will weaken your resolve in real combat, and you need that most of all in the future. Once you're fully trained, and it has developed under the crest, you will have a fighting chance against Yggdrasil."

Stunned completely, the teen took a long moment to think. He what? Entry level training? Motor what? Defeat him? Fighting chance? Slack jawed but wanting to fill the air with something, he pointed to his mentor. "You're from Tethe'alla?"

Kratos watched him for a moment, then sighed, looking to the side as if defeated. "Yes Lloyd. I'm from Tethe'alla. A long time ago."

"Okay…" Looking around, he tried to make sense of it. "So… You actually want to take down Yig-dris-mil?"

"Yggdrasil. Please get the name right." Pinching the bridge of his nose, he tried to look at him straight. "It's a family name. Imagine how you would feel if people said Genis' last name wrong?"

"Who would mess up Sage?" Carefully he took the swords from Kratos' hands as his brain finally made sense of what was going on around him. "So let me get this straight. You want me to get stronger and then take out your boss?"

"Yes." The gravity in his voice could not be missed. Lloyd watched him for a moment, confused. Kratos wanted him to stop his boss, but at the same time he regretted it? Just why was he working for this guy anyway? If he hated everything Cruxis did, why was he with them? On second thought, why didn't he just- "The situation is very complicated Lloyd. I… at this moment, I am incapable of stopping him. Though I've long wished I could."

"Wishes aren't enough." He put the sword belts on quickly, tightening them until they fit him perfectly. "You need to follow through in order for them to succeed."

"True. All too true." Looking up at the man's face, Lloyd could swear he saw pain in the man's eyes. So even though he knew he had to take down his boss, he couldn't? Maybe it wasn't about power, but something else.

"Since you understand that," Kratos took a few steps away from him then drew his sword, "come at me."

"What now?!" Panic started to surge through him, only annoying his teacher. Just like before the Tower.

"Yggdrasil won't wait for you to be ready. So strike when you can." He raised his sword to strike him down in a charge, finally pushing the teen to whip out his own to defend himself. Three blades clashed in the air, ringing filling the air. Lloyd shook holding the two blades up to block, but he managed it. And it made his teacher smirk. "Good. Your instincts are intact. You're a little slower without your exsphere, but training will fix that."

He leapt back, letting Lloyd get into a better stance. His panic almost threw him off his feet at the collision. Kratos was playing for keeps. Still Lloyd was curious. "But… why do you want me to take on Yig… Yggdrasil? I'm-"

"If you can manage to stay conscious all through a day's training, I'll tell you." Again the swordsman leapt forward, demanding him to dodge or force him back. Great. Passing training was going to get him answers now? Just perfect.

* * *

><p>Hours later, a very sore Lloyd Irving, pretty much unconscious, was barely rousing as someone cleaned him off after all the training. Kratos was merciless while they were working out, drilling him over and over again while attacking at different intervals. Twice he was knocked out after a collision, and the last time he passed out during a break. He really was taking it easy on him while they were traveling.<p>

Barely aware, the teen didn't object as someone dried off his somehow wet hair and dressed him in fresh clothes. He further didn't care that someone was carrying him back into his cell. He did hear murmuring above him and tried to make sense of it.

"He worked really hard didn't he." Ava.

"He always did when it mattered to him." Kratos. He was carrying him again. He sounded warm.

"You're very proud of him Lord Kratos."

"Hm." A pause. He was being set into his soft bed. So nice… A hand brushed over his forehead. "Make sure he has a large breakfast tomorrow. I didn't get him to pause for dinner."

"Yes m'lord." Blankets were tugged up to his chin. So warm. "How long do you suppose until he will be able to return to bed on his own?"

"Considering I have three years' worth of training to get through quickly… and without an exsphere…" There was a sigh. "It'll be a while."

"You knew this wouldn't be an overnight miracle Lord Kratos." Marcus. "It took near a century to gain the status I had before my transformation."

"I am very well aware of how long this may take." The voices turned away from him, but he really didn't care. Lloyd's mind wouldn't retain any of this, and he didn't really care. All he wanted was sleep, and he so earned it.

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><p>AN: Yeah, just finished it at 2am. Started the chapter around 11 I think... anywho, Kratos is going to train Lloyd! He's going to teach him about things through self study and physically through a lot of training. normal human versus one of the four great serapham... this is going to be interesting. Lloyd is putting some things together (and finally called yggdrasil by his proper name) but it'll be a while before he gets it all. and the other angels are talking a little more. I'll be explaining them soon enough. Time's going to be going by a lot faster soon enough. Oh! and they're training in the part of the tower Lloyd adn the rest went up when rescuing Colette in the game. Other routes adn parts of the tower are coming up.

In other news, there's a poll on my profile! Please click it. Laters.


	10. 10 – Training Gems and Woes

Long one, sorry. But there's a lot of talking and training and theorizing so bare with it. Time is speeding up and there's a lot for Lloyd to learn before he can go rejoin his friends.

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><p><em>10 – Training Gems and woes<em>

Blunted swords rang against each other, their song filling the air. Lloyd tried to force all his weight forward and unsettle Kratos, but the more experienced swordsman took advantage of the weight change and threw him to the ground. "Arg!"

"Don't attempt to unseat your opponent when you cannot keep your feet under you." The older man's cold stare was met by a determined glare, along with a lot of huffing and puffing. Lloyd didn't have the endurance he had before, and that was where he was slipping most.

For the past three weeks, every afternoon and evening, the two of them trained in a different part of the Tower of Salvation. Lloyd spent the mornings sore and reading up on the early history of Aselia, country by country in that history book, and the rest of the time he was undergoing what Kratos called intermediate training. Mostly he was forced to hold certain positions and repeat sword movements over and over again, adapting them to his fighting style as he went, for about half the time they were together. The rest of the time they fought, and Lloyd realized again and again exactly how much stronger the man was compared to him. He hadn't managed to get through a single session without being knocked unconscious and carried back to his cell.

"Again."

Groaning, the teen pushed himself to his feet, ignoring how much his body shook from exhaustion. Couldn't they have a break? Just for once in his life? They were fighting for hours! The annoyed look on the seraph's face put an end to that thought. "Yggdrasil is not going to give you time to breathe. Get up."

Doing his best to catch his breath without getting caught, Lloyd fell into the latest stance he was learning. Kratos fell into another and they stared each other down. No opening could be found at that moment, both waiting for the slightest change to begin their charge. A small crack off in the distance gave the signal and both darted forward. Mercenary stabbed forward, forcing his opponent to use one sword to block while sidestepping the attack. He slid his other sword between the man's shield and his attack to hit an opening, only for the shield to hit him head on, making him see stars. Staggering backwards, Lloyd regained his footing and blocked another attack from Kratos' sword, sensing rather than seeing the strike coming. Instead of throwing his weight forward this time, the teen crouched with the force, twisted underneath it, sidestepped once again, and swung his second sword at his open side as Kratos staggered forward.

He almost made contact, but the old soldier managed to bring his shield down on the blade, knocking it out of the way. "Better."

"Not done yet!" Lloyd continued to turn into his swing, slashing with the first sword at the man's nearly exposed back. But once again, the shield was thrusted up to his face, knocking him backwards and out of harm's reach. He didn't recover from that blow fast enough, resulting in Kratos swiping his feet out from under him, and Lloyd landing on his rear with a thump. "Oww…"

The tip of the man's blade rested itself just under his chin as the lad's eyes refocused. Frustrated, he looked at the man giving his trademark scowl. "Overconfidence breeds carelessness. Carelessness summons defeat. You cannot allow yourself to be defeated Lloyd."

"I'm not trying to-"

"No, you're not." The seraph's eyes narrowed on him, a merciless teacher when it came to swordplay. "Focus on learning these techniques and adapting them to your weapons before adding complicated tactics you're not ready for."

"I thought you said I was a fast learner." Really, he was getting tired of all the criticism. One second he was all compliments and the next he was picking at his footing or grip! Pick a side already!

"You need to be faster, in many ways." Kratos sighed before lowering his blade, shaking his head. "Go for a run, but stay on this level. And keep the weights on."

Rolling his eyes, "FINE!" Lloyd shoved himself to his feet, again ignoring the exhaustion in his limbs. The heavy practice swords he was using were put back into their sheathes, then he started running down a hallway nearby. The heavy, weighted mail shirt and pants he was wearing over his clothes jangled every which way as he ran around the circular hallway surrounding the central part of the tower. Even the bracers and grieves he wore over the gloves and boots were weighted down, making every move he made noisy and hard. Yet he forced himself to do it. Without the assistance of his exsphere, Lloyd was as weak as any other human. And he hated it.

Breathing was getting hard again as it always did whenever Kratos sent him on one of these runs. This part of the tower was cleaner than the other places they trained in, and had a lot more metal than the other ways around it. Everything linked together somehow and honestly he was kinda tired of seeing hallways that looked like the lab and his cell. At least it was easier to run around there than in the other places they fought in. He wasn't tripping or slipping like the other times.

Before he liked, the run was finished, and he was rasping for breath in the place he started. Kratos watched him hunched over for a while before pushing him back. Annoyed, Lloyd snapped his head up to shout at him. "What's the deal?!"

The man just looked at him for a while, thinking probably, but the lad was just too exhausted to care. He was tired. He was sweaty. And for all it was worth, he was starving! Ever since this crazy training started, he missed a lot of dinners. Sleep won over food every time. Kratos seemed to debate something before turning away. "Take off your armor and walk a lap. Don't sit down quite yet."

"Huh?" That was new.

His incoherent question was met with an annoyed glare. Seeing it, the teen decided not to argue, immediately throwing off the bracers. "Fine fine. Don't get your panties in a bunch."

"Hmph." Once more Kratos turned away, busying himself with that wingpack he kept down there. Lloyd chose to ignore him for now and just take the blessing he was given, stripping himself of all the metal he was forced to wear during training. He never wore so much metal in his life!

Soon enough the lad was walking down the path he ran just a minute or two before, finally catching his breath. His head felt heavy, but walking around like this really helped him start to get his thoughts in order. He kept the sword belts on, missing the feel of weapons at his sides more than anything, but then again, Kratos had mentioned there were monsters and some kind of security system in this place. He didn't want any more surprises.

Stretching his arms along the way, the teen slowly managed to get his thoughts in order. He'd been in Welgaia for over a month now. In that time, he learned how to properly read at last, a lot about a past he doubted the Professor knew, and new sword techniques. He also was alone in this place, hated by the leader of Cruxis, being watched by the angels, and his one ally there was the same person who put him there. There was a lot he didn't know, and what he did know confused him. Not liking where his thoughts were going, Lloyd looked at the seal crest covering his mother's exsphere and sighed.

"Well? Any idea what's going on Mom? Know how to make the world right?" No response. Sighing, Lloyd rested his head against the metal as he walked. "Guess I'm on my own then."

Before he would have liked, he was back to where Kratos was waiting for him. With a meal. Surprised, the teen stopped where he was, slack jawed. "What the…"

"You've met your quota for the day," the mercenary informed him as he unsheathed his practice blade. "Eat up then start cleaning your armor and swords."

"What do you mean?" Confuddeled, he tried to make sense of it. "I thought I trained until I dropped!"

"That is lunacy." The man gave his 'don't be stupid' look before taking a cloth to his practice sword, looking over each section of it carefully. "You were out of practice and unused to not having an exsphere, so your endurance had to be pushed past its limits. Now it's at the minimum amount to supply energy for normal intermediate training criterias."

"What?"

"You can meet the daily training regimen for first year officers. Squires. A knight's apprentice." He raised an eyebrow while looking him in the eye. "You weren't quite there yet; now you are. Congratulations."

Unamused, Lloyd staggered over to where a cold dinner was waiting for him. Cheese, ham and biscuits, plus fruits and water, it was better than he could have hoped. Not that he ate poorly there before, but considering how many dinners he ate lately, he was surprised he was getting anything!

Quickly the teen dived into the platter of food before him. Eating quickly, one bite stopped him in his tracks. Within seconds, he spat out part of what was in his mouth, disgusted. "Are you trying to poison me?"

"Why do you ask?" Was that amusement in the man's voice? He cast him a dirty glare as he picked through the food as fast as he could.

Soon enough he found what he was looking for and tossed it out of his dinner. "You know I hate tomatoes!"

Something passed Kratos' face, something close to amusement, but Lloyd ignored it in favor of removing any other offending fruit from his meal. "Just checking."

"Sure you were." He found two more before he was sure the food was clean, then went back to devouring his meal. Lloyd was nearly done (and wanting more) when he looked at Kratos and noticed something was off. "Aren't you gonna eat?"

"I don't really need to." The man kept working on his sword, using a stone to work out the dents but careful not to make it sharp. Often he polished it with the rag, removing dirt. Lloyd knew the process by heart by now, but he hadn't had the time to do the same in quite some time. Being a big shot, he didn't quite understand why the guy would clean his stuff. Weren't there underlings who could do that?

"Why?" His head went back to food in a heartbeat. Was there any more was a question he wanted to ask, but wasn't sure if he could. "You ate with us when we were traveling."

Pausing, the mercenary seemed to think about the question before answering. "Lloyd, do you remember how the Chosen… Colette… stopped eating?"

"Well yeah," he murmured. He was the one who noticed first. Wasn't he?

"Do you recall why?"

"Because she was turning into an angel…" The teen stopped, remembering who this man was to Cruxis once again. "But… you ate with us. You even had trouble trying Professor Sage's cooking. You told Genis that you'd rather eat grass than tomatoes. Colette forced herself to eat, but she ate everything, no complaints."

"But I'm still an angel. I don't need to eat. I just like to. Are you still hungry?" Unable to stop himself, Lloyd nodded, extending his empty plate needily. Without an objection, Kratos reached into that wingpack and took out another packet of food. "There might be tomatoes in it."

"I'll pick them out." Quickly he unwrapped the package and rummaged through it, thinking only a little. Once it was tomato free, he asked more questions his teacher could answer while he chewed. "But it still doesn't add up. How are you an angel? You can eat and I've seen you in pain. And you taste just fine. Plus there's your personality, and you talk."

"I'm unique." Setting the wingpack back down, he went back to cleaning his sword. "Yes, I can eat and feel pain, but even my sense of touch isn't as strong as it once was. My other senses are sharper, like Colette's, but… Lloyd, do you ever recall seeing me sleep?"

Caught between swallowing and chewing, the lad almost choked at the question. Almost. He managed to force the mouthful down, then started thinking hard. Did he? Now that he thought about it, Kratos was always taking the night watch. He was the last to go to bed and the first to get up. He _never_ seemed tired. Well, not from travel or fighting. Whenever they talked and he said something that annoyed the man, he seemed tired then. "No… not really."

"I stopped sleeping a long time ago." He looked down in thought, stilling at a memory. "There was only one timeframe when I could since I became an angel. Since then, I make a special effort not to."

"Why not?" So he could sleep, he just chose not to. Watching how still his face became, the teen wondered why more and more.

"The nightmares aren't worth it. Finish your dinner and get to work cleaning your equipment." That was code for 'I don't' want to talk about it' with Kratos, and even dense Lloyd could tell he was getting antsy. The seraph sheathed the practice sword and put it back in the wingpack. The teen watched as he retrieved his flaming sword from where it stayed against the wall during their training. He was still curious about this angel.

"So you don't sleep and you don't need to eat, but you still have your soul and have your voice."

"It appears so."

"So did you lose them and then get them back?" If he did it, then maybe Colette could! What was going on outside Welgaia? What were his friends doing? The training and studying kept him occupied, but he was still worried about them. Part of him wanted to be rescued, but he wasn't an idiot. If they came to Welgaia right then, they'd be killed. Kratos really was his best chance. But what about his friends? Colette?

Kratos looked at him briefly before sighing and shaking his head. "My transformation wasn't the same as Colette's I'm afraid. I never lost my soul… or will… nor my voice. My senses were heightened, endurance, strength, and speed tripled, and I can manifest wings from my mana. I can also use some magic and do not need to use sleep or food to replenish my mana supply. My change… was different."

"Okay…" A bit disappointed, Lloyd went back to his dinner, eating in silence as he mulled things over. So it was likely he didn't know how to save Colette. Maybe the professor found a way. How he prayed she did. It was when his appetite was fully sated that he brought up another question. "Where to angels come from?"

This question seemed to make the man smirk. "The same place humans, elves, and half-elves do. Get to work on your gear."

The cleaning supplies were already on his pile, waiting for him, but Lloyd still had questions. He gave the man a scowl as he went over and started cleaning off his swords. "You know what I mean. What are they really? If they're another race, how can a human become an angel?"

"Hm. Well asked." The seraph looked at a pocket watch he didn't know the guy had, then nodded. "What you call an angel is nothing more than an evolved being. Majority of them were half-elves before their transformations. Only myself and Chosen were human before the change."

"They're half-elves?!" The teen's jaw dropped in disbelief. Did that mean Desians were precursors to angels? "How?!"

"Cruxis Crystals, mostly." Kratos showed him the gem on his hand, keycrest and all. "I'm an exception, though, this may be like yours given time. I am an odd case."

"What?"

"Colette was a normal girl until the Cruxis Crystal was attached to her skin. At which point…" He sighed slightly, folding his arms. "I told you before, her life was forfeit from that point on. Whether she completed the ritual or not, the crystal would rewrite her biology until she became the vessel you saw at the final seal. The opening of the seals only unleashes a large amount of mana, shifting the flow between worlds. This was necessary in order to save Sylverant. A side effect was the speeding up of the angelic transformation."

"Hey-"

"If the ritual was done every ten years between the two worlds, no one would have noticed the shift." Kratos glared annoyance to the side, clearly wishing this had taken place. "A Cruxis Crystal is needed to open the seals' locks, but that is all. There is no need for one world to suffer and the other to flourish like this."

"I take it that was Yggdrasil's idea?" Lloyd was getting a better sense of where this guy stood in all of this. It was confirmed when he nodded.

"Completely. But that was not what you were asking." He straightened, watching the teen finish cleaning one sword quickly while talking. The second one was being worked on soon after. "Angels are evolved half-elves with the use of Cruxis Crystals. They are rare, which is why you don't see any in Sylverant. The Chosen doesn't have one in their hand when they are born; instead one of Cruxis operatives organize through bloodlines who the Chosen will be, and find a compatible match between the host and the gem. Compatibility is very important Lloyd."

"Why?"

"Because with humans it determines if they will survive the process." The gravity in the man's voice was hard to ignore. Was he hinting at something? Something terrible? But he went on. "With half-elves, it determines how much of their personal wills, will stay intact."

"What are you talking about?" Kratos was very serious, and it was scaring him. What was he trying to tell him?

Sighing, but at something other than him, the seraph elaborated. "Lloyd, haven't you noticed how different Ava and Marcus are from the other angels?"

He nodded. Of course he had. "They talk more and have personalities. I mean…" Thinking back, Lloyd thought of a good example. "When I see the other angels, they have this… dead look in their eyes. No emotions at all. Marcus glares at me and barks orders, and Ava has this icy persona, but she still talks to me as a person. They ask you questions and answer with nods sometimes… They have opinions."

"And the rest you've seen are like parrots, repeating the same things over and over again. Unchanging." He nodded, satisfied. "Those two, like Remiel, have over 90% compatibility with their Cruxis Crystals. Many angels have 60% to 70%. Majority under 50%. Only a handful have 90, and those are the ones with wills of their own."

"I have 100% compatibility."

The thought struck him so completely, so perfectly, that they both stopped what they were doing to let it sink in. The idea was dizzying. Kratos nodded. "Yes. You do. How-"

"I… overheard you guys talking when I first came here." Well, not completely, but enough of it made sense. "Some guy said he never saw these numbers before, and that was about me. If 90 is good, then if there was someone with 100%, you guys would…"

"Do everything in our power to find out why and how? Yes." The fact tightened Lloyd's chest, making it harder to breathe. He was an experiment. "If we were all like Kvar. But we're not."

"Huh?" His head perked up automatically. What?

"I made it clear to the angelic researchers that we would be focusing on the development of the exsphere rather than investigating the host body." A small smirk came on the man's face without any reason behind it. "Compatibility is necessary for many reasons. Each of the human ranches specializes in a particular variety of exphere, and finding humans whose mana is compatible with them is important for their development. That is why Chocolat was sent to the same ranch as Marble. Most mana signatures between family members are similar to each other.

"This is why you have perfect compatibility with your mother's exsphere." Kratos nodded to Lloyd's hand, making him pause and look at it himself. "It would not give you as much power as you typically have if the compatibility were 50 or less. Even with the keycrest. Furthermore, your mother was pregnant with you while she wore it. You were exposed to it longer and more consistently than any human host body on record, without being turned into one. The connection you have with it is more symbiotic than parasitic."

Blinking, Lloyd tried to make sense of what he said. His head was a jumble with the information, and he had a hunch it was more theory than fact. So angels were half-elves with Cruxis Crystals. Most of them were like dolls because of low compatibility with their crystals. Those with high compatibility retained their souls and some personality traits. Humans were compatible to certain exsphere, but they didn't get turned into angels; instead they were drained dry of mana and turned into monsters like Marble and Carla. It probably worked the same way with half-elves, but since Cruxis were in charge of the gems, they didn't let that happen. His mom's exsphere was part of some experiment, the Angelus Project, and the seal crest was supposed to develop it into a Cruxis Crystal. His mom must have been highly compatible with it too, but because of the circumstances around his birth, his was even higher. Did that mean…

"If… this thing turns into a Cruxis Crystal… and then gets attacked to me without a keycrest…" He looked up to Kratos, somewhat panicked. "Does that mean I'll turn into an angel?"

He nodded. "More than likely."

"Like you? Or Like Colette?" Was he going to be turned into a soulless being?

The seraph before him paused, watching him expressionlessly. "That… I don't know."

Silence consumed the lad, his head and heart heavy from the idea. He… could become an angel? It just didn't seem possible… a least until then. Kratos started talking after a moment as reality set into him. "As I've said before, my transformation was different. But I have never heard of a Chosen with perfect compatibility either. Are you alright?"

Lloyd's head felt very heavy, so he just flopped it into his hands, propping his elbows on his knees to help stabilize his body. "Fine… just… it's a lot to take in."

He just couldn't get his mind wrapped around it. One day, if Cruxis' experiment was done before he found a way out of there, he could wake up without an appetite. Then he wouldn't go back to bed. He wouldn't be able to enjoy the sun or snow anymore. Speaking would be a dream. And then… An involuntary shiver passed through his body at the thought of losing his soul. If he was lucky he'd wind up like Ava, Marcus, or even Kratos, but how likely was that? Chosens were human first, and none of them kept their souls.

The image of the swirling caskets under the Final Seal filled his mind along with the way he last saw Colette. Was that to be his and?

A hand rested on his hair, rubbing his head soothingly. "It could take years for it to develop into a Cruxis Crystal Lloyden. Your mother was Kvar's captive for a long time, and she eluded him for almost the same amount of time. It wasn't done then. Each time you used it previously, it further changed. It still hasn't finished changing. It might never change. We don't know the full nature of exspheres or Cruxis Crystals.

"The experiment… it's only an excuse to keep you alive and safe from Yggdrasil's full wrath. You being turned into an angel is not part of the plan."

"You promise?" Lloyd looked up to him, mentally and physically exhausted. Kratos knelt before him, warm sincerity in is steady gaze. It seemed so familiar but he couldn't recall a specific time they talked like this.

"I'm doing everything I can Lloyd. But I can assure you, I will never adhere it to your skin. You have my word."

Relief let the lad's shoulders sag, ignoring the small idea that Kratos was avoiding making a promise he couldn't keep. He promised to not turn him into an angel. That was good enough. He rested his head back in his hands, tired in more than one way. It really was a lot to take in. "Tired?"

"Exhausted."

"Hm. I thought it'd take more time. Finish off that sword and the chainmail. We'll work on this more when you're better adjusted. Just try to stay conscious until after the showers if you don't want to be carried to bed again."

Lloyd bristled, jerking up and awake with a new determination at the notion. The man seemed to smirk as he stepped away, packing things up so they could go. "I can make it on my own."

"Sure you can."

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><p>Lloyd ended up leaning heavily against Kratos the entire way back to his cell, nearly passing out in the showers. He would have grumbled more about it, but really, his head and body were just too tired to care anymore. Bed was just too inviting.<p>

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><p>AN:so it ends with kratos teasing his son a little, but who could blame him? really, teenagers can be very sensitive pride wise. as for the exhaustion and endurance building up, think of how long it took for Lloyd to recover. and he no longer has the bonus of his exsphere so his endurance isn't as good as it used to be anyway. He's having to build it back up from near scratch, and military training isn't easy to get used to. I remember how exhausted I was from biking all day back when I first started to and it was hard. The weights added to the training only speed it up and add muscles to him. He's also learning new techniques and will soon be learning the advanced ones from the game plus more of Kratos' tricks.

Now for the whole discussion on angels, exspheres and Cruxis Crystals: you knew part of this was coming one of these days. We still haven't touched on Renegades, where his friends are, if Colette is back to normal yet, or why Kratos specifically wants Lloyd to help save the day. Plus Lloyd has to learn the truth about Mithos and the rest, plus Martel and the chosen system, and the age of 'equality'... this was just the first thing I could think of that he would ask, especially with the progression coming from the food. Anyone figure out why they keep sneaking tomatoes into Lloyd's food? There is a reason, and it's a good one. Anywho, with this I am putting out the theories I have about the angelic transformation and about Cruxis Crystals. After a while they just kept coming out. HOpe they make enough sense!

Until next time, and don't forget I have a poll up!


	11. 11 – Ava's Story

I'm really in the mood to write this lately so don't get too comfortable. My mood may change.

Anyway, side story, kinda filler, but it does talk about questions people have had. and I need to have Lloyd's character development happen similar to the game don't I? Anyway, enjoy!

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><p><em>11 – Ava's Story<em>

Lloyd kept rotating his shoulder as he read from the large history book he was barreling through. Learning about the different lands of Aselia made him wonder more and more about the two worlds. Mostly he wondered how all of this worked. Kratos talked about how no one would notice a mana shift if they did the ritual every ten years or so before, but why was it necessary for this to happen? From what the book was describing, Tethe'alla and Sylverant, along with a lot of other countries, were part of the same world. "So what changed?"

"Much changes."

In an instant, the teen jerked up right, surprised by the answer. Just inside the doorframe was Ava with her usual tray of food. Lunch. He was so preoccupied with his book he didn't hear her come in, or notice how hungry he was. As soon as the smell reached his nose, he was ravenous. Soup and sandwiches, and they weren't small ones either. The lady angel approached him on the bed, letting the door close behind her. "The only constant in this life is change. Are you hungry?"

"Starving. Thanks." Quickly he met her among the books and took the tray from her, setting it across some books he leveled out to act as a table. Almost instantly he was devouring his food. Since the training started, he really needed the food.

"Does Lord Kratos know you use your books like this?" Ava inclined her head towards the two stacks keeping the tray up as he ate. She didn't seem to approve.

Lloyd shrugged. "I don't think he really cares. I mean… it's not like I really use them." He jerked his head back to the three books on his bed. "I'm pretty busy just reading that one and learning about all those other countries. Did you know Dwarves were from Moria? My dad said he was separated from his people a long time ago, but he never told me where he came from."

"I doubt he thought it was important to your survival." The lady looked over the books on his bed, frowning slightly. The lad watched her and started to remember the discussion he and Kratos had about angels the other day. Ava was originally a half-elf, right? And it was her compatibility to her Cruxis Crystal that gave her wings… were they painful? And what was she before she became an angel anyway? She didn't do anything to hint at what her life was like before becoming an angel. Instead, she was curious about what he was doing when no one was looking. "Did Lord Kratos restrict you to just study from these books?"

"Well no…" Baffled by her question, he watched her even more. "Did he say I should read something else too?"

"I believe it's implied." Ava looked around the room and the piles of books around them. "A general history is good, but expanding your knowledge is important as well. Literature, arithmetic, the sciences, politics, legends, everything is important in one way or another. You should switch to another subject every few hours or so, so your mind remains sharp."

"Like what?" He finished off one sandwich and picked up what had to be his third before joining her. This was the first time he could remember having a real conversation with this lady. It was kinda nice.

She raised an eyebrow at him then looked around at the stacks. "What subjects interest you?"

He shrugged. "I like astronomy. And I'm really good with my hands. Machines always made sense to me."

"I see. Anything else?"

Lloyd shrugged again, not knowing how to respond. "Eating, sleeping, making things, looking at the stars, swords, that's pretty much my life until I left Iselia."

"Quite a simple life." Gracefully the woman moved between the stacks before kneeling down and picking out one or two.

"I wouldn't call it simple," the teen grumbled automatically, but she ignored it. She often ignored his side comments, and now it really made him think. "Hey, what were you like before you became an angel?"

Instantly she stopped moving, as if he struck her with something. Was he not supposed to ask? Before he could do anything to retract his question, she came back to life, taking another book from a pile. "I take it Lord Kratos informed you of the true nature of angels."

"Yeah… he did." Fiddling with his sandwich, he tried to explain what he learned. "He said you guys were all half-elves then were given Cruxis Crystals and that gave you wings and stuff. He didn't say much more than how you've got high compatibility with yours and that's why you're easier to talk to than other angels."

"I see…" She stacked the books she dug out on top of each other, keeping her back to him. "Does this disturb you?"

"A little. I mean…" It was hard to explain what really unnerved him. "Why would you risk losing your soul to become an angel? Isn't it painful for you too? I just don't understand why anyone would willingly change who they are like that."

Her shoulders seemed to relax a bit before she stood up and turned to face him, books in hand. "I cannot speak for everyone, but in my case, it was to save my family."

"What?"

Ava placed the books on the bed near the large tome he was reading just minutes before. "I don't know the circumstances you grew up in, but in Tethe'alla, half-elves are heavily discriminated against. There are laws prohibiting us from prospering like others would. Many half-elves are homeless, and others are kept in laboratories to develop magitechnology.

"My husband was human." That stopped Lloyd for a moment, surprised. She continued on, looking at the stack of books rather than him. "I was separated from my family a long time ago, but I found solace in him. Max was an average carpenter, but honest and earnest. We had three children together."

A sad smile graced her face as she spoke, remembering someone who died some time ago. "We always knew I and our children would outlive him, and he said he was glad for it. I watched the man I loved grow old and die silently. And when he was gone, it wasn't long before the people of my village turned against us. We had no choice but to leave.

"Not long after, the king of that time was drafting half-elves for mining operations. My son was strong and old enough to work, but he wasn't enough. All three of my children were taken from me and put to work in mines… for coal and iron." She took a moment to breathe before continuing. "My girls were younger than you physically, small and much weaker than their brother. Going into the mines like that was a death sentence. They put me to work on their jailors' laundry. I was helpless to stop them."

"That's horrible!" Lloyd grew up hearing about the conditions in mines and how they could do real damage to people if they weren't properly equipped or built for it. That was the main reason Dirk never let him help with that part of his work. Who were these people sending them into the mines like that?! Where they even human? Somehow he doubted it could be any other option. The thought of what could happen made him feel sick.

"Once I tried to get them out of there," she continued, somehow gaining courage from his words. "They caught me. I barely managed to get out of the encampment with my life. My children somehow managed to escape punishment.

"That was when I met Lord Kratos." A smile appeared on her face, though it was slight. "I was actually found by another angel, who managed to whisk me away to Exire, a haven for half-elves in Tethe'alla. Cruxis was recruiting half-elves for the Desians, and a handful to become angels. That's when I saw him, scowling against a tree, just watching everyone. I ignored those who wanted revenge on humans who joined the Desians and walked straight to him, begging for help to save my children. I didn't want to fight, just to get them out.

"Lord Kratos said nothing at first, then told me to hold a stone." She almost laughed for a moment. Almost. "I didn't know anything about magitechnology then. The stone tested my mana and compared it to the signatures of the Cruxis Crystals in stock. When the analysis was complete, he passed it over to another angel and asked how far I was willing to go to save them. I told him as far as it took. Then they left.

"The next day he returned with my Cruxis Crystal. He warned me there would be no turning back once I put it on, and he couldn't guarantee the crystal wouldn't reject me, but it could give me the power I needed to save them.

"I put it on."

Ava stopped there, finally looking at Lloyd again. "Three days later, Lord Kratos helped me settle my family in Exire before taking me to Welgaia. Angels cannot stay among other half-elves for very long before everyone demands wings. Thanks to him and this crystal, I was able to save them, but wearing it binds me to Cruxis and the will of Lord Yggdrasil. Though I must obey Lord Yggdrasil, I choose to assist Lord Kratos. Especially now. I owe him my children's lives."

"Whoa…" It was a lot more to take in than the teen expected. So Kratos saved her… by making her an angel? But she did get the power to save her family. That explains why she was with him rather than floating around with the others.

"I also taught my children much of their studies," she informed him steadily, tapping the new stack of books. "Which is why I feel you should read these as well. Lord Kratos asked me if I knew any alternate ways to learn math. I can only assume he will be increasing your studies when he finds a method you would best adapt with. I am willing to assist in your studies if you ever wish it."

"Ah… I'll keep that in mind. Thanks." Right then, Lloyd just wanted a moment to think before Kratos came in and dragged him out to train more. Ava was more incredible than he first thought (course he first thought she was just another angel working for a tyrant but that didn't really matter, did it?). She nodded properly, then moved to pick up his nearly empty lunch tray. In an instant Lloyd grabbed the last sandwich on the platter before it would be lost forever. He ate the soup first and was more than glad to have something more.

Before she left, she stopped before the door. "Lloyd… what are your feelings towards half-elves?"

Blinking in surprise, he could only shrug. "They're people too. I hate Desians because of what they do, but I know a couple half-elves in Sylverant who want nothing to do with them and just want to live normal lives. They're pretty incredible. And I can't say I know very many angels, so I can't make a judgment on them either."

Ava nodded, then asked, "What do you feel about the prejudices against us as a whole then?"

"I…" Mentally stumbling, he tried to find an answer, and couldn't. "I'm not sure. I haven't seen as much as you, but I can't say I agree with it. My best friend is an elf, and I feel horrible when people judge him. People don't like my dad because he's a dwarf, but he raised me. If he wasn't a good person at heart, he would have left me to die when I was a kid. Instead he changed his entire life for my sake. I bet I'd feel just as mad at people if they were treated the same as you and other half-elves.

"I guess I really don't like it. I just don't know a lot about it. I've always been an outsider, so who cared. So long as I did all I could to prove them wrong, I knew one day they'd realize they were wrong."

"Has that worked?" She seemed really interested on his feelings in this matter, but Lloyd went with it anyway.

"I'll tell you when it does." He grinned sheepishly, hiding how he really felt for a moment. "But it really doesn't matter what they think. If I can't look myself in the eye in the end, then I'm not doing the right things. I can't control anyone but myself. And there's always Dwarven Vow number one: let us all work together to make a peaceful world. I don't want to see anyone suffer, but I can't stand by and watch others be hurt either. I'll do whatever I can to make that a reality."

Once more she nodded, pleased. "The one who raised you did well. Continue thus and you will be a good man. Continue your studies to become a wise one."

Lloyd watched her as the door opened before coming up with something last to say. "I bet you were a great mother."

She stopped one last time, pausing before speaking sadly. "I pray I was."

Then she was gone and the teen was left with the books. Sighing slightly, he took a big bite from his sandwich. '_Well, guess there's nothing else to do but go back to reading._' Carelessly he looked through the pile she made, his eyes widening at the titles. Beginning mechanics? Introduction to magitechnology? Astronomy? Titles and Governments? Swallowing hard, he tried to make heads or tails of the pile. "Holy… They write books on these things?!"

* * *

><p>Lloyd smirked to himself when he recognized the area they were training in that day. The place was as shabby as he remembered it. Kratos wasn't amused, like always, and just uncuffed him like usual. "You seem to be in a good mood."<p>

"Well, I just learned some interesting things today." Rubbing his wrists, they hurried over to where he hid the wingpack in that area. The sooner they got started the sooner he could learn everything he needed to leave.

"Hm. I thought there were more books on your bed." The mercenary played it off as nothing, and likely didn't care much at that moment what he had learned.

"Ava picked them out," he said helpfully, goading him into conversation. The lad grinned. "She also told me how she got her wings."

The seraph stopped for a moment, then took out the gear they were using that day. "Ah."

"You're a bit of a softy aren't you?" Lloyd grinned, teasing him for once. It was about time he had something on the guy. Something he could tease him about at least. "You helped save her family's lives. Just like you saved mine and my friends."

"I only did what I could." As always he wasn't very eager for personal conversation. Informative, yes, but this?

Still Lloyd continued. "You're actually a really good guy aren't you? I bet if it didn't look suspicious, you would have protected Colette and the rest of us for free. I mean, you were pretty eager to- HEY!"

Chainmail landed over the teen's face, stopping his teasing for good. "Enough yabbering. Get dressed and get into your practice stances. Time is of the essence."

Lloyd peaked out from behind the mail at the man's back, grinning impishly. "Awe… so shy!"

Kratos slowly looked over his shoulder at him, one menacing eye visible to him. He started rushing, collecting his gear to get to work. "Going! Going!"

He barely caught sight of the man shaking his head, exasperated. He really was shy after all!

* * *

><p>AN: So Lloyd isn't just going to learn about the past and fighting, he's also going to learn about things that interest him! Eventually we'll get to math...

Ava's story is pretty much all here. It'll be a while before Marcus' comes out, but right now that's not important. Lloyd's world is expanding, and he needs to know why angels exist on a personal level. He also needs to know how Kratos has any kinds of allies among them. There's a lot he needs to learn in completely new ways. Plus a lot of me theorizing.

Anywho, there will be more chapters like this and the previous one where there's a lot of talking and not a lot of action. This is going to be a slow going story. Sorry. Hope you enjoy it anyway.


	12. 12 – Prepping For a Trip

So the game is still going on... without Lloyd... yeah, i'll leave that to your imaginations. So Kratos still has a lot of things to do to make his plans work. That means...

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><p><em>12 – Prepping For a Trip<em>

Kratos was unusually quiet one evening as Lloyd cleaned off his gear after training. He was tired, but not near as much as he was when they first started working out like this together. For the past few days, Lloyd could make it back to the cell on his own two feet without keeling over. Sure he passed out not long after his head hit the pillow, but he made it! No one carried him to bed, no sirrie! Still, it was weird that Kratos wasn't going over all his mistakes. There were quite a few from what he could remember. The man seemed… preoccupied.

"Something up?"

"Hm." The man was staring at him, leaning forwards on his elbows with his fingers pressed together in thought. It was different from his usual looks, but he'd seen it before. Back when they started their journey, Kratos used to stare at him a lot. He was about to ask what he was thinking when the man spoke up. "I'm going to be gone for a while."

Surprised, the teen just stared at him. "Okay… how long?"

"A week. Maybe two." His eyes went off into the distance, thinking of something. It seemed rather serious. "There are some things I need to do that cannot be done in Welgaia. Things no one else can do."

"Alright… So… what am I gonna do when you're gone?" Lloyd stopped cleaning, giving the man his full attention. Kratos was leaving? Well it wasn't like he was with him all the time. He spent at least half of his day in his room studying. It was just the most interesting parts of his life happened when Katos was around. Other than the books and occasional talks with Ava (Marcus was a jerk), there really wasn't anything else to do.

"Study."

Teenaged eye-rolling was inevitable. The seraph followed it with more. "By the time I get back, you should be about halfway through that history book. You'll have a basic understanding of how the world once was, before magitechnology became the norm. You'll start having a lot of questions then."

"You've read that thing?" Though it was fascinating once he got the hang of reading, the whole thing was rather dry.

"A few times. If you reach the discovery of exspheres before I return though, stop and read something else. The backs of the other books or inside covers have summaries. Anything covering military actions or politics should go in one pile for a while. Anything else is fair game."

Something wasn't right. "Why don't you want me reading those?" Not that he wanted to, but he had to ask.

Looking to the side, Kratos thought of an answer. "Because you'll want to use them as a cross reference. Believe me, you will not want to go back and forth with history. Not right now.

"Besides reading," he moved on, "I want you to keep up with part of your training."

"What?! How?!" How in all the worlds was he supposed to keep up with anything in his cell when he wasn't even allowed to wear SHOES! That was the whole reason they trained in private right? So no one could stop them and he could move freely. How was he supposed to-

"Pushups. Jumping jacks. Balancing. Marcus will be watching you and giving instructions for-"

"Oh that's just great." Throwing his arms in the air, Lloyd groaned. "The muscle angel is gonna make sure I do stupid exercises in a small place with books everywhere."

"The books don't have to be everywhere on the floor Lloyden." That firm note was back in his voice, and didn't look the least bit amused. It shut him up almost immediately. "And unless you want to go back from our sessions too exhausted to walk, I advise you take Marcus' instruction seriously. The exercises are to keep your endurance up. When I return, I don't want to lose any time. You've made a lot of progress without that exsphere powering you. You're almost at the same level you were at with it."

That made him stop. "What?"

Sighing slightly, it was Kratos' turn to roll his eyes. "You never notice your progress do you Lloyd. In little over two months, you've reached the endurance and skills you had with your exsphere. You're also a lot faster at reading. Your reflexes are still a little slow, and you're still using two bookmarks, but you've improved."

"Really?" He was getting better? Really? This was-

"Focus Lloyd." Hearing the annoyance in the man's voice, the teen snapped his attention back to him. "You need to keep the skills you have attained, so you need to exercise to keep up your endurance and strength. Marcus will teach you the best ways to do that so listen to what he says. He will also escort you to the showers and to the lab for weekly testing. Nothing else will change. Understood?"

Shrugging, "I guess. But where-"

"I'll tell you in time," he promised. That was pretty much the same promise as always. Everything would come out in time. Great. "You just need to be patient and behave while I'm gone. Understood?"

This time the lad sighed. "Fine."

"Good." They stayed still for a moment, then he rose from his seat. "We need to get going."

Nodding and sighing, Lloyd handed over the last of the cleaned up gear to be put away in the wingpack before getting up and heading towards the portal leading out. Kratos met him there and put the cuffs on like they always did before making any appearances before the other angels. He closed his eyes during transport, then looked around as soon as they were in Welgaia where Marcus was waiting.

Walking the route back towards the secure labs and cells was becoming rather boring really. He already memorized the routes to the Tower of Salvation and back, several times over. And he knew exactly which angels were where at what times. The only fun he had during the trip was looking at the stars or naming the winged half-elf dolls along the path. Soon enough they arrived at some private quarters where a shower was made available. Learning how they worked was fun the first time he was conscious for it, but now it was a little boring too. Soon enough he was out and led to the labs where he would be poked, prodded, and floating around with lights for who knew how long.

When he entered the lab this time, he spotted a familiar sneaky looking man in weird green robes. Inside the lad groaned, and he had a feeling the two angels near him did the same. Lloyd was handed to Marcus for a moment while Kratos confronted the Desian. "These are not your labs Rodyle."

"As you say Lord Kratos." The slimy man smiled as he looked over some computer tablets to where Lloyd was standing. "But you know I cannot wait to see the final results of the… ehem… Angelus Project. I feel I would be a better leader for this experiment-"

"As you have stated in your previous visits." Annoyance was barely eking out of the man's body. How did Kratos stay so calm? "And my answer is the same. You will have the results _after_ the experiment is over. Not before. I do not need your help."

"Are you certain?" Rodyle gave him a knowing look, his eyes shifting hungrily towards the lad every few seconds. "You are after all, a _soldier_, not a scientist. You may not be objective enough to-"

"This is _my_ project," he seemed to repeat, this time with a threatening tone. "Your tampering will _not_ be permitted."

"Hm. Project. Yes…"

"Do _not_ come near _him_." Lloyd's eyes widened, staring at the mercenary. In the past few times this Grand Cardinal (yeah, he figured out who he was after the second time he came to the lab to "observe") was shoved away politely. Not this time. "You have five hundred humans at your ranch each year. This one is off limits. Understood?"

The half-elf watched Kratos calmly for a minute before sneering. "Of course, Lord Kratos. Whatever you wish."

"Then leave." In one swift movement, he plucked the tablet from the intruder's hands and took a gem from his pocket as he stepped clear around him. He made a slight motion with his head and two guard angels came to Rodyle's sides, escorting him out of the room. Marcus seemed to position himself between Lloyd and the Desian too, blocking any possible contact or spell or whatever they were expecting from that man.

Strangely enough, Lloyd never felt threatened by that guy. Pudgy was just annoying and slimy, and a little like the mayor or Iselia. Frustrating guy, but not scary. Kvar was downright terrifying in comparison. Kratos was much scarier when he was mad. And Yggdrasil… well, he tried to not think of Yiggy most days.

"Lloyd."

"Huh?" Taken from his drifting thoughts, he jerked his eyes back to Kratos near the center of the room. His hand was playing with the memory gem he swiped from Rodyle as he calmly raised an eyebrow at him.

"The scans."

"Right…" He joined him at the center table, let someone take his cuffs off, then climbed onto the bed without being told to. Hey, he was getting training and waiting for the right time to take down these guys wasn't he? What was wrong with letting them scan his body and exsphere?

* * *

><p>"You really should be leaving sir." Marcus. Why was he hearing his voice? Lloyd turned slightly in his sleep, somewhat wanting to hear what was being said.<p>

"I know." Kratos. Well that explained a lot. Quite a few of Lloyd's dreams seemed to have his voice in them these days.

"The sooner you leave the sooner you return."

"The last time I left Lord Yggdrasil tried to kill him. And before that…"

"There are no reasons for that event to repeat itself. Should anything happen, he cannot be blamed."

Someone snorted. "You don't know him."

"Lord Kratos," Ava, "I know you are worried about Lloyd's safety while you are absent, but you said these events cannot be avoided. There is work for you to do. We will keep him safe until your return. He will be here, waiting for you."

Silence, then, "You're right. I should get going."

More silence, but he did hear some tapping getting closer to the bed. Too tired to do anything, Lloyd did nothing until he felt a hand on his head, rubbing his hair. It felt really nice. "You be a good boy for them while I'm gone Lloyden. I'll be back as soon as I can." There was nothing but his hand for a while, then a soft chuckle. "Sleeps like a rock. Some things never change."

His hand left and instinctively Lloyd turned towards where the warmth was leaving him. It somehow helped him hear what was said next. "Take good care of him. I'm leaving my hope in your hands."

"Understood sir."

* * *

><p>AN: Yeah, so Lloyd's gotten used to living as a prisoner in welgaia. Kratos isn't mistreating him, he's getting well fed, plenty of sleep, cleaned up, and learning 24/7, so really, can he really complain about his life so far? the only thing he doesn't have is freedom and his friends. and he's kinda making new friends at the same time. What he doesn't know is what's going on when he's locked away. That is going to change soon. Kratos has every right to be worried while he's gone collecting things and giving cryptic hints to his friends.

I love the dreamy times Lloyd overhears things. If he strung them all together, he'd understand what Kratos is doing for him a little better.

Rodyle is a part of this, along with a few others in the main bad guy cast. so keep your eyes peeled. Laters.


	13. 13 – Couldn't Life Stay Boring?

I went through this chapter twice to get it to this point, deleting a sequence that really wasn't needed. Started the next chapter too, but haven't gotten very far. It's time for some audience suggestions! Please tell me what you think should happen next. But before that, read!

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><p><em>13 – Couldn't Life Stay Boring?<em>

It was probably the fourth day after Kratos left that something happened. The previous few days were tedious and uneventful, other than Lloyd having a shouting match with Marcus once or twice during work outs. Really, the guy made him do the oddest things for very long periods of times. Sure there were pushups and jumping jacks, but also weird crunches, hopping around, holding one position for an hour or more, and one weird one where he would stretch, squat, and do a pushup, going over and over again. By the time they were done for the day, he felt the same exhaustion as with Kratos' training, but none of the thrill.

It was pretty lonely without the seraph/mercenary around to talk to or fight against.

The teen shook his head while reading his latest book from his stacks that no longer cluttered the floor. He and Ava had organized them into corners of the room, and even a few under his bed. There were still the two piles he used to prop up the food tray, but other than those, the majority of the room was clear enough to walk through without tripping over something. It came in handy with the workouts.

Bored, he tried to not think of anything but the book in front of him. Thinking about how much of a slave driver Marcus was or how much he missed having Kratos around was not making anything better or go faster. Instead, getting absorbed in the book he found on dwarves was better. The lad was already at the point Kratos said to stop at, so he had to find something else.

That government book Ava recommended was boring and confusing, even with the dictionary. Astronomy was fun, but the writer got too technical with the positioning of the stars. And there was only so much he could follow with the books on mechanics and magitechnology.

So… Dwarves! Dirk was going to be so proud of him.

Almost humming to himself, he settled himself into his book for over an hour when a sharp, stabbing pain struck his left ear. "Oww…"

His hand flew up to his ear, rubbing it to dull the pain. "Well that's just peachy. Figures you would act up now. Ow."

It took a few minutes, but slowly the pain went away. Just when he finished massaging one, the other one acted up. "Dang it!"

Frustrated, he rubbed the other one. "Seriously guys, if I wanted pain, I'd be throwing myself at the walls. Ow… What is with you?"

Talking to your body doesn't always help ease the pain, but it sure helped him expressed his confusion. Last time they acted up like this was in Iselia. One second he was 'paying attention' (ie. dozing) in class and they did the same thing. Shortly after, he heard the Mayor complaining about having elves in the village. It nearly jolted him out of his seat, but he was awake again, trying to find the source. He didn't see the mayor anywhere, but he was next to an open window. Another time Dirk was using a long string of curses after dropping a hammer on his foot. Lloyd was just upstairs that time so he didn't think anything of it.

This time when the sharp pains stopped though, he heard shouting just beyond the walls.

"What the…" Jerking his head around, the teen tried to make sense of it. Was that Marcus and Ava shouting at someone? He couldn't make out any words, but it sounded like there was a scuffle outside.

Shaking his head, Lloyd slapped the side of head. There was no way he was really hearing what was going on outside. Besides, it wasn't that clear. For all he knew, it was just a change in the air system or the walls resettling. There were a lot of weird noises going on when you least expected it. And it wasn't like all those other times were real anyway. People thought they heard ghosts when it was just the wind changing. Or a mouse. Or something. Did Welgaia have mice? "Just my imagination."

Well the sound was pretty much one after a minute, starting a new wave of ear rubbing. Ignoring the moment of confusion, the lad went back to his book. It was rather interesting when it talked about Dwarves worshiping Origin as a god rather than as a summon spirit. He must have made a pretty strong impression on them if they-

_SHUNK!_ The door opened behind him, jerking his attention away from the book entirely. In the doorway stood five Desians, one of them a mage, and two angels with very dead eyes. One of them had handcuffs. "What the he-"

"Silence human." A large Desian sneered at him, brandishing his whip. "Lord Rodyle has need of you."

"Tell that sick bastard I'm off limits. Unless you like crossing Kratos Aurion." Lloyd put up the best face he could at that moment, fighting away the panic within him as he got to his feet. He was unarmed, zero armor, and still didn't have the strength his exsphere gave him. They were his total opposite, and there were a lot of them. Where was Marcus? Ava? Weren't they there to prevent this from happening? '_I will never complain about being bored again._'

"Lord Kratos isn't here right now."

He snapped his glare to the oily voice that spoke over everyone else. The squad parted briefly so the Grand Cardinal breaking all the rules could show his ugly face. His superior smirk only made this captive want to vomit, preferably over him. "He cannot save you."

"That's not my style anyway." Before anyone could stop him, Lloyd darted forward towards the crowd, throwing one of the books at the mage muttering to himself. It hit the guy dead on and the rest were too surprised by his resistance to react as they should. The teen didn't give them a chance to recover as he plowed into the nearest one, swiped a dagger from his waist, then flipped off him through a gap between two Desians. In seconds he was in the hallway, ready to either run out of the lad and to one of the practice sites, or into Marcus and Ava who were suddenly…

Floating in midair, unconscious, and tied up at the moment. Shocked, Lloyd hesitated to make any further moves. How did-

Two heavily armored bodies collided with his, pinning him to the floor and bruising quite a few ribs while the acquired knife flew out of his hand. "HEY!"

"Hmmm… not very good at your job are you boy." Rodyle's laugh grated on the teen's nerves as he fought against those holding him down. One struck him across the face, splitting his lip instead of dazing him. The Cardinal tsked. "Now now, don't bruise him too much. Lord Kratos won't like seeing his… project… harmed. No, I don't think he'll like that one bit."

"Get off me you fathead filthy Desians!" The more they tried to restrain him, the more Lloyd struggled. He was not letting them take him somewhere he didn't know. He'd gotten used to being a captive, sure, but with Kratos it was more like forced schooling. He was nothing like these guys.

"Now now now! What did your mother tell you about calling people names?" The two men holding him jerked him upright on his knees, arms twisted behind his back painfully seconds before the comment was made. Their master stood before him triumphantly. Cold fury overtook the lad. What did he just say? Chuckling, "Oops, I'm sorry, I guess she never could! So sad."

"Shut up you son of a-" One of the men struck him again, this time dazing the angered teen. How dare he… How dare he!

"Course you do seem to be a lot like your father." That actually stopped him. What? "Look like him too. Well, not perfectly, but you two seem to be very much the same. When he loses his temper… Tsk tsk tsk."

"You… you know my father?" The revelations were enough to stun him away from struggling, giving the angel accomplices time to put cuffs on his wrists. This wasn't the first time someone on that side acted like they knew his birth dad. And every time he was reminded, his mind started buzzing. Desians still held him tight, one of them muttering a spell. The air smelled a little acidic when that happened, but Lloyd didn't really care at that point.

Did he know…

Rodyle laughed to himself again. "Oh my… you still don't know do you? Well, it's not my place to say, but…" He laughed again. "Oh, this is too good. I'll have to- yes… I'm going to enjoy this to the best of my ability. But only when the time is right. Best not spoil the surprise!"

"Where is he? Where is my dad?!" Catching his second wind, Lloyd pulled free of the men holding him to demand answers from the Desian before him. He didn't get two steps in before they grabbed him again and a spell struck him. Everything inside him cringed in pain, calling a scream from his throat before it stopped and he stared losing consciousness.

Crap.

The Cardinal's voice though haunted him as he passed out. "Such resilience! Really, this bloodline should have been tested and restarted centuries ago! He's a fine specimen indeed. Very fine. Just like his father."

* * *

><p>AN: Rodyle is my next choice for most sadistic Desian, first being Kvar. pronyma is probably too busy organizing Desians and trying to get yggdrasil's attention to screw around with humans, and Forcystus is a bit busy as a soldier to bother with Lloyd outside his territory, so... *shrug* Others need to come in anyway to make things interesting. The question is, what is he going to do to Lloyd? Can't be anything extreme though or Kratos will skin him. Sooo... Ideas? Please tell me what you think.

Anyone else talk to their body whenever it doesn't agree with them? I tell my stomach to stop talking and shout at my diaphragm whenever I hiccup for more than five times in a row. That's why Lloyd complained to his ears for hurting. Now... why are his ears hurting? Just something to think about.


	14. 14 – Rodyle's Lab

Been a bit. Yeah, I got a job! And I didn't know how to continue this chapter either. then there's Christmas and well... you get the idea. Anywho, enjoy what you can! I don't know if this title fits the chapter though. Oh well.

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><p><em>14 – Rodyle's Lab<em>

When Lloyd woke up, it was to a splitting headache and the need to vomit. Groaning, he tried to roll off his bed and head to the toilet, only to find his hands and feet locked in place above and below him. That only got him to open his eyes, and the light hitting them only made his headache and nausea worse. '_Crap… What happened?_'

He groaned again, slowly regaining his senses. Worst yet, his ears were ringing. Just what he needed: a headache, a sick stomach, and now ringing ears. And his hands were cramping. If he was capable of leaning back in his bed and forgetting the world even existed, he would. Unfortunately there was nothing behind him and he was already vertical. There was no way he was getting that chance.

"Ah good! You're finally awake."

All at once, Lloyd's eyes snapped open, his memory kicking in. Kratos was off doing something elsewhere and wouldn't be back for at least another week. Marcus and Ava were floating in the hallway. The Desian Grand Cardinal Rodyle had a squad of half-elves and a couple angels with him. They abducted him. Owww…

Wincing involuntarily, the teen pulled his probably wrenched neck up to find the annoying source. Ugly fatcat Rodyle stood about two yards away from him, smiling connivingly at him. Oh how he wanted to wipe that grin off his face… The man only grinned more at him as some beeping reached his ears. "From rest to fight mode within three minutes. Very impressive. Your response time is higher than most humans."

"Take me down from here and I'll show you just how good I am." The tough guy route hadn't failed him yet, but it hadn't succeeded very much lately either. The problem with acting like a tough guy around a lot of other tough guys was how little they cared. At least his ears stopped ringing.

Rodyle cackled. "Do you think I was born yesterday dear boy? No, I am fully aware of your part in the end of Magnius and Kvar. And I am not quite the warrior those two were. You are staying right where you can do no harm."

"Scared?" Lloyd couldn't help but to grin back at him. So, the Cardinals were scared of him.

"Hardly." The half-elf's tone was enough to make him lose the grin. "Without the access to your exsphere, you are no stronger than an average human. You may be well trained in whatever arts you use, but you are no match now for even my weakest man. You were only formidable when the Angelus Project was used, nothing more.

"I must thank you though," the rat continued, snickering again. "Thanks to you, there is nothing stopping me from continuing the Angelus Project the way I see fit. And I can use you for an example."

'_What?_' Already the teen's brain was swirling around in circles. His mom's exsphere was the Angelus Project, the same project that (maybe) was saving his life from Yggdrasil now. From what he overheard with Kvar and Kratos (separately), his exsphere was special and 'cultivated' by his mother when she was the host-body for the project. Kvar's methods on how to develop the gem and Kratos' ideas were completely different, but they were supposed to get the same results: to make a Cruxis Crystal. How was always the question. "What do you mean by example?"

Rodyle raised an eyebrow at the question, amused still. Why was everything he did so amusing to this guy? "Curious thing aren't you? Well, no matter. Not as if you could do a thing about it.

"I have my own Angelus Project in the works." Lloyd's stomach plummeted, causing a new round of beeping. His own project? Like his mom? "I only have a little information from Kvar's research of course, so I had to work out the details on my own. So many failures…"

He shook his head in mock guilt. "So sad. But not long after you were born, I had developed a way to safely start up the project again. Kvar was chasing shadows to find your mother then, making quite the uproar all around Sylverant. No one paid me the slightest attention.

"But the project isn't going as quickly as I'd like," the man admitted. "True this is merely an experiment, but I would like to know I am on the right track. Thus…" He grinned again, striking a little fear through the lad's body. "You and your Angelus Project are my examples. Prototypes. I'd take off that seal crest and see the development much closer if I could, but that thing is very annoyingly stuck.

"Guess I'll have to improvise."

Without any further warning, sharp energy ran through Lloyd's body, seizing up every muscle in his body. He clenched his teeth to stop from screaming out, but just as quickly as it started, the pain was gone. Panting, the teen tried to figure out how that happened. Without doing much of anything, he was exhausted. This little…

"Very interesting!" Before him the Desian cackled, snapped his fingers and pointed to a few of his workers. "Samples! Now!"

"Yes sir!" Two half-elves darted forward with needles and swabby cotton sticks, poking him from all angles and forcing his already achy body to move as much as the position allowed him to. A third came over with a weird circlet with wires attached to it and slid it on his head. Lloyd glared at all of them, wishing he could move more and fight back, but Rodyle was right about one thing; he couldn't fight back, no matter what he wanted.

"Hmmm…" The Grand Cardinal looked over him and his computer screen for a moment, thinking hard. "The neural scanner may not gather all the information I want after all. And energy scans aren't quite that accurate. Strip him and attach the wires."

"WHAT?!" Enraged, the lad tried to lung forward and out of the contraption holding him still, but nothing budged. Already he was sweating. Strip him? Wires? Just where were those wires going?! "You can't- ARG!"

The shock returned, stronger this time. When it stopped, he still jerked around, shivering from the trauma. Why was he- Rodyle gave him a cold sneer. "Human, you may be amusing as a whole, but you are still an inferior being. A lab-rat. Speak only when spoken too."

As if to reiterate his point, another jolt went through Lloyd's body. He could feel it start just outside where his hands and feet were being held, then how each spark flew through his body, trying to find each other. 'Painful' only began to describe it. Shivering after this last attack, he couldn't do anything but pant as half-elves took knives to his clothes and cut them off his body. The team quickly glued patches with wires connected to them on several parts of his torso and chest, one or two to each of his limbs, and one just under the circlet. The entire process would be mortifying to him if he was capable of coherent thought.

Though there was one that successfully flew though his mind. '_Rodyle then Yggdrasil. Rodyle then Yggdrasil. Be patient. You'll get them both Lloyd._' He glared his determination to not be defeated at the monster in front of him. '_You're going down._'

Rodyle watched him in mild amusement for a moment before another sneer made it to his face. "The resemblance is uncanny, really. Right down to that glare of yours. But everyone has their breaking point. I wonder how long it will take before you break too."

'_Too?_' He wasn't given any more time to think about what was said when another current flew through his body. All he was allowed was to gasp for breath and a vaguely hope that Kratos would come in soon to help him out.

* * *

><p>AN: dun dun duuunn... so Lloyd's being tested and tortured like other human test subjects the Desians use. Rodyle's also dropping hints left and right that he knows Lloyd's father, and that he was an interesting 'test subject' as well. As for what he's referring to with breaking, Kratos must have broken down after his family 'died' in front of him, because of him. I can imagine Kratos being more like Lloyd in stubbornness and when they're mad, but the rest of his personality would be like Anna.

So yeah... I need more ideas on how Rodyle will treat Lloyd. I'm fairly good with torture-training (Hey, check out Sacrifice to see what I mean. The things I did to Dick...) but in a lab, I'm a little clueless. I have very little medical knowledge too. Share what you can! I'm gonna go see about introducing someone else soon enough. ^^V


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